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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
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UPDATE: Regence contract approved with The Polyclinic and Everett Clinic
The contract between Regence and Optum, the parent company of Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic, is approved effective immediately. If you are enrolled in the Regence KingCare PPO, there will be no disruption to your coverage. If you have questions, please call Regence BlueShield at 800-376-7926 from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. You can also contact the King County Benefits team at 206-684-1556 or email KC Benefits. Your patience and understanding in this process has been appreciated.
Eligible PERS 2 members can switch to PERS 3 in January
Each January, certain members of Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 have the opportunity to make a permanent transfer to PERS Plan 3. You are eligible to transfer to Plan 3 if you are an active PERS Plan 2 member who began service before Sept. 1, 2002, and you will earn service credit in January. Use the resources on the DRS website to help you decide if transferring to Plan 3 is right for you. To transfer from Plan 2 to Plan 3, complete a Member Transfer form and return it by mail or email by… Read More
Brrrr! How to stay warm and safe when the power is out
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider Freezing rain is in the forecast for Thursday night and Friday morning. When rain freezes, ice weighs down trees and powerlines, so there are predictions of widespread power outages from emergency management. Power outages are more than an inconvenience. When temperatures are cold, power outages can become emergency situations. Get ready ahead of time to avoid dangers if the electricity goes out. Read more.
King County Correctional Guild donates diapers and more to Westside Baby
The King County Correctional Guild recently delivered almost 3400 diapers along with 180 other hygiene items to Westside Baby, located in West Seattle. “We learned about the need for diapers and wipes, along with other items such as baby shampoo, from a volunteer at Westside Baby and wanted to help,” said Officer Donald Moen. “Many of our members are familiar with just how expensive these items are and were more than happy to contribute.” The Guild took the opportunity to make it a friendly competition between the different shifts that work at… Read More
Carol Basile is FBOD’s new deputy director
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express Carol Basile recently took on the role of Deputy Director for the Finance and Business Operations Division. She is very familiar with the role, having previously served in this capacity for nearly two years from 2013 to 2015. Carol has been King County’s Chief Treasury Officer since 2019 where she has overseen a number of Treasury team successes. She has also been a key contributor and a member of the leadership team on the Property Tax Administration System (PTAS) technology project. To ensure transitions run smoothly, Carol will… Read More
Moving Forward Together: The Importance of Indigenous Voices in Shaping Institutional Transformation
This edition marks the final video in a four-part series, closing out the community conversation that was jointly produced with Native American Leadership Council (NALC) and the Office of Equity and Social Justice in partnership with community members. In video 1, NALC members shared stories of how community advocacy can lead to policy and systems change within institutions. Indigenous Peoples Day as a paid holiday within King County being one example of that. In video 2, Urban Native Education Alliance emphasized the importance and benefit of funding Native centered programming and curriculum… Read More
COVID Leave Benefit ends Dec. 31
Last year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, King County implemented a plan that allowed for up to 80 hours of leave for COVID-related reasons. The program began Aug. 10, 2021 and is scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2022. Requests to use COVID Leave will only be processed through Dec. 31, 2022. Additionally, any previously awarded COVID Leave that has not been used by Dec. 31, 2022, will be removed. You can read more about the program at Accessing leave during COVID-19 – King County and Taking leave – King County. As a reminder,… Read More
Learn sustainable landscaping and yard care
King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) is partnering with the Snohomish Conservation District to offer both in-person and online classes ranging from landscaping with native plants to growing a food forest. These free classes are part of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks Environmental Education Programs. Read more.
Help reduce the spread of airborne illnesses by improving indoor air quality
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider By now you may have heard that we’re experiencing high cases of flu and RSV (a respiratory disease), with young children being hospitalized. With cold weather, we spend more time inside, which increases the potential for another surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the coming months. Diseases like RSV, the flu, and COVID-19 are airborne and spread easily indoors. With that in mind, it’s important to pay attention to indoor air quality. Read more.
Free COVID-19 tests available while supplies last
During the cold and flu season, it’s a good idea to test yourself regularly for COVID-19 whenever you start not feeling well or before visiting groups of people indoors. There are free COVID-19 tests available while supplies last at www.covidtests.gov or sayyescovidhometest.org. Manufacturers now say the tests are good for 12 months.
Shop with a Cop events create smiles and connections
Cross-posted from the Sheriff’s Office newsletter The annual Skyway Shop with a Cop event was held recently at the Renton Walmart. Over 80 children and their families showed up and were warmly greeted by volunteers and deputies from around the agency. Each registered child was paired with a deputy to walk through the store to select the child’s choice of items. The event was supported by the Alajawan Brown Foundation. The Covington Shop with a Cop event also took place at the local Walmart. This year, approximately 180 children participated, with each child given approximately… Read More
Records Management’s Jacqueline Tabor performs jazz in Japan
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express Jacqueline Tabor, a member of the Records Management Program Team in Records and Licensing (RALS), recently returned from a whirlwind five-day Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association delegation trip marking the 65th anniversary of the sister city relationship. Read more.
Restored upstream salmon habitat begins a decade of projects to open streams and rivers
Executive Dow Constantine recently announced significant gains this year by King County to restore access to high-quality salmon habitat, and that the county will soon embark upon a decade of projects to reopen at least 50% of the stream habitat currently blocked by county-owned roads and trails. The team of experts guiding King County’s Fish Passage Restoration Program estimates that by 2032 these projects will allow access for native salmon to freely swim to more than 250 stream miles. Read more and watch the video.
King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan Highlights
In 2016, King County launched its Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan, which has informed the direction for the County’s equity, racial, and social justice work since its development. To share just some of that work, King County has created the “ESJ Strategic Plan Highlights” – an online, interactive approach to presenting some of the County’s significant initiatives, efforts, and investments towards becoming anti-racist and pro-equity. Watch this video for an overview of the highlights with King County Executive Dow Constantine and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Anita Whitfield. Spend time exploring the entire report to… Read More
Be prepared for cold temperatures, snow, and possible freezing rain
Extremely cold temperatures, snow, and possible freezing rain are forecast for our region this week, so please be prepared for possible commute delays and impacts to business operations. If you work on site, please be prepared for cold weather. Have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making commute decisions. If you drive, have an emergency kit in your vehicle, including extra clothing, food, water, and a flashlight. Power outages: If you are teleworking and experience a power outage that affects your ability to effectively work remotely,… Read More
Inclusive All People Restrooms coming to Chinook and King Street Center
After many years of employee advocacy, King County is expanding the number of inclusive restrooms. Transgender and gender expansive employees have highlighted the need to create more inclusive restroom access where employees do not need to choose between gender-specific restrooms. To advance this effort, the county will update sets of restrooms on the 5th and 12th floors of the Chinook Building and the northeast set of restrooms on the 3rd floor of the King Street Center to All People Restrooms. In this first phase, the Facilities Management Division (FMD) will install privacy… Read More
New resources help managers and teams navigate project work
The Project Management Team (PMT) in the Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget has developed a set of tools, templates, and processes to guide project managers across King County in navigating project work. Whether you are a designated project manager or someone who manages projects from time to time, these resources will support you and your team through your project work: A 13-minute video introduces the Project Management Team’s standard work and provides an overview of the required minimum standards for PMT-assigned projects. These tools and templates help project teams plan and implement their projects. To… Read More
Focus on Financial Goals in 2023
Whether you are building a budget, planning for a large purchase or thinking about retirement, My Secure Advantage (MSA) has money coaches available to help you and your family. King County employees get 90 days of money coaching every year. Read more on the Balanced You blog.
King Street Center information session recordings available
Nearly 550 King County employees recently joined information sessions about upcoming changes at King Street Center and across the downtown campus. For those who were not able to attend, or attendees who want to review the information shared, you can now access the recorded sessions and related materials. Recording of Session 1 Recording of Session 2 Slide deck Audience Q&A, including follow-up on questions that weren’t answered live
Drew Thompson, finalist for the Clean Tech Alliance Energy Leadership JEDI Award
Cross-posted from Clean Water Stories Drew Thompson, Resource Recovery Project Manager for King County Wastewater Treatment Division, was recently a finalist for the 2022 Energy Leadership JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) Award. The award, given by the Clean Tech Alliance, recognizes those who perform outstanding work to make the energy sector more equitable, support climate justice and diversity in the sector, and foster an inclusive ecosystem. Read more.
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