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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
Tips for clean air indoors on smoky days: A Public Health comic
Crossposted from Public Health Insider When it’s smoky out, it’s important to do all you can to keep indoor air clean. Check out these tips from our crafter’s corner and don’t forget to visit www.kingcounty.gov/wildfiresmoke for more tips and resources. More information about protecting your health from wildfire smoke, including how to make a DIY box fan filter is at www.kingcounty.gov/wildfire smoke. View the entire comic here.
Employees, others get an opportunity to test out “zippy” electric vehicles
Crossposted from the DES Express Fleet Services recently hosted their first “Ride and Drive” event focused solely on light duty electric vehicles, the kind you might drive at work or home one day (or already!). The goal was to provide information and opportunities for King County employees and folks from other agencies to try out electric vehicles, enticing them to consider using them when more become available. Attendees met first to hear presentations from electric auto makers. “Ford, Volvo and Mack Trucks all focused on their vehicle electrification programs, what’s available and… Read More
Kelsey Urban gets a birds-eye view of the county’s potential risks
Crossposted from the DES Express When your job is to help manage risk for King County, it’s critical to understand what those potential risks are. So, when an opportunity came to get a birds-eye view during a routine King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) helicopter flight, Kelsey Urban, the new Deputy Director of the Office of Risk Management Services, jumped at the chance. Brendan McCluskey, Director of Emergency Management, joined in to provide an emergency management perspective. Read more.
Voters renew Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy—continuing nearly two decades of successes
King County voters approved the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy for the fourth time, ensuring that veterans, seniors, and resilient communities can continue to access a broad range of programs and services in King County. Read more in the official press release.
State retirement plan contributions change Sept. 1, 2023
Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on Sept. 1, 2023, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. The PERS employer rate will change to 9.53% for all PERS plans. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning Sept. 14, 2023. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate… Read More
New Racially Just training for all Executive branch employees
Dear fellow King County employee, One of our core values is “We are racially just.” This means that we work purposefully and intentionally against racism and discrimination, and toward equity for all by building anti-racist and pro-equity approaches into our work, our policies, our budgeting, and our trainings. It means that we make racial justice a central part of how we work and act as King County employees. That is why we have launched a new training: We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work. This training will help to… Read More
Take care in hot temperatures
The hotter than normal weather we’re experiencing this week can take a toll on our mental and physical health so it’s important to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our furry friends. With the National Weather Service’s Heat Advisory for our area now extended until Thursday, Aug. 17 at 11 p.m., here are some tips from Public Health – Seattle & King County to help you manage the heat. Learn more.
Website migration starts Monday, Aug. 21 – what to expect
Starting Monday, Aug. 21, King County will begin transitioning our public website (kingcounty.gov) to a new platform. While website migration is underway, site visitors may experience brief, occasional errors. This process is expected to be completed by Wednesday, Aug. 23. KCIT is working with departments’ Web Content Manager(s) to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruptions, but you can help: Be prepared for customer questions. After the transition, online visitors will see the new King County homepage and your department’s new webpages. Your webpages will look different, and customers may need help navigating to… Read More
KCIA hosts Blue Angels for Seafair weekend
Crossposted from DES Express The U.S. Navy Blue Angels roared in and out of King County International Airport for this year’s Boeing Seafair Airshow, held Aug. 4 – Aug. 6. The Blue Angels were parked on the airport’s main terminal ramp again this year, making for a close-up show for airport employees and others at the terminal. Read more.
Employee Engagement for the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan Continues Aug. 28 – Sept. 13
Employees who opted-in to Identity-Based Affinity Spaces should have received a calendar invite for their Affinity Space’s second meeting, which are scheduled to take place between Aug. 28 – Sept. 13. Please check your email to ensure you’ve received this calendar invite and seek time approval from your supervisor. Effectively engaging King County employees is a key part of refreshing the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. Earlier this year, employees opted-in to Identity-Based Affinity Spaces, one of the ways the Refresh project will engage with employees. In these meetings, employees will… Read More
Participate in survey to improve the Customer Experience
The Customer Experience (CX) Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from departments across the county, has developed a survey to learn more about how we are delivering customer service across the enterprise. If customer service, whether external or internal, is a component of your work, please participate in the survey. It takes 10-15 minutes to complete and will be open until Aug. 25. To access the survey, click here. With your participation, we will be able to gain a robust understanding of services we provide to customers, ways we interact with customers, and how we request feedback from… Read More
Caroline Whalen retires after 29 years at King County
Crossposted from DES Express Caroline Whalen, director of the Department of Executive Services since 2010, retires next month after 29 years at King County. Her last day in the office will be Sept. 8. “Working for King County was the best career decision I’ve made,” Whalen said. During her county career, she has written land use code, organized massive rezone mailings along with an associated call center, analyzed legislation, and served as a lead staff for the County Council. She worked her way up to deputy director in the former Department of… Read More
King County Metro’s largest union approves 3-year labor contract with higher salaries and expanded training opportunities
King County Metro and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 have finalized a three-year labor contract that increases wages by approximately 17 percent over the life of the contract. The agreement also includes a lump sum retroactive payment, a retention bonus of $2,500, and a one-time $2,500 ratification signing bonus. The contract shortens the pay step progression and vacation accrual time for part-time transit operators, aligning it with the current policies for full-time employees. Negotiations on the contract started in May 2022, with the parties reaching a tentative agreement this June. The… Read More
$1.2 million in narcotics blocked by Shoreline Police and King County Sheriff’s Office – keeping nearly 300,000 fentanyl pills off the street
Nearly 300,000 fentanyl pills and other narcotics are out of the hands of a narcotics trafficker thanks to the diligent work of the King County Sheriff’s Office, which recently conducted an operation to stop the dangerous drug from hitting the street. The amount of fentanyl seized is enough to cause more than two million lethal doses and is one of the Sheriff’s Office largest seizures ever. Operation “Jade” took place on Thursday, Aug. 3, and was led by the Shoreline Police Special Emphasis Team (SET) and assisted by Precinct 4 SET and Narcotics Detection… Read More
Aerial rescue success on the Pacific Crest Trail
Crossposted from the KCSO newsletter On Wednesday, Aug. 2, the King County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. They had received an alert from a Garmin inReach device – a personal satellite transmitter/receiver – about an injured hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Adams. Pilot Deputy Josh Sweeney, Co-Pilot Tony Mullinax, Safety Officer Sergeant Eric Gagnon, Rescue Specialists Deputy Travis Brunner and Sergeant Tim Lewis, and King County Medic Rosenblum responded immediately. Guardian 2 was on its way to the hikers’ location within… Read More
King County Security Tips – Post-its are not for passwords
Do you keep a login and password written down on a Post-it or piece of paper near your desk? If so, you should get rid of it by following your company’s sensitive document disposal policy. If your company does not have such a policy, you should use a paper shredder to dispose of the Post-it. Do not simply place the Post-it in the trash. While it may be tough to remember a login and password for all of the sites and portals you belong to, writing the passwords down on a piece of paper, or… Read More
Surface Water Management Fee discount for families with low incomes – Apply by Sept. 15, 2023
If you qualify as a low-income household and live on your own property in unincorporated King County, you may be eligible for a 50 percent discount on the annual surface water management fee on your land parcel(s). Residents approved for the King County Senior Citizen and People with Disabilities Reduction in Property Taxes are already approved for this discount and do not need to apply. The open period to apply is every year from Aug. 1 through Sept. 15. Learn more about the fee discount at www.kingcounty.gov/swmfeediscount, call 206-477-4800, or email wlrdswm@kingcounty.gov. Information about… Read More
2024 Professional Development Scholarship applications to open Sept. 6
What could up to $3,000 do for your career? The first application period for the 2024 Coalition Labor Agreement Professional Development Scholarship is rapidly approaching, and now is the time to identify training opportunities to help you reach your career goals. In conjunction with the Coalition of Unions, the Professional Development Scholarship Program will be accepting applications Sept. 6 – Oct. 8, 2023, for training that will begin anytime between January – June 2024. The application process is changing so please periodically check the scholarship website and the Employee News for updates on how to… Read More
Now Recruiting 2023 Employee Giving Program Ambassadors
Crossposted from KC Employee Giving Bring a little inspiration to your day and build connection with your team by signing up to be an Ambassador. The Employee Giving Program is now recruiting King County Employees to serve as an Ambassadors for this year’s Annual Giving Drive to their work groups/sites. As an Ambassador, you are the heart and soul of our Employee Giving Program team. We can NOT run this program and support so many great causes without you. Last year that resulted in $2.39 million! You are the key to making… Read More
Providing support for Maui wildfire response
The devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui last week left a trail of destruction and loss of life in their wake. The impact on people, communities, and the environment has been devastating. Rebuilding homes, communities, and lives will take months and years. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, with those who lost their homes, and with the first responders working hard to find those that are still missing. Employees may be wondering how they can help. This year’s Annual Giving Drive is… Read More
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