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Exec meets with employees on visit to Steve Cox Memorial Park
This spring and summer, King County Executive Dow Constantine is traveling 100 miles in 100 days through King County Parks, meeting many of the dedicated employees, partners, and volunteers who contribute to the region's spectacular parks and trails.
He recently visited Steve Cox Memorial Park, a popular athletic complex located in White Center, named in honor of Sheriff Deputy Steve Cox, who was killed in the line of duty in 2006.
“Parks Coordinator Darlene Sellers led me on a tour of the historic gymnasium built in the 1930s where we offer the White Center Teen Program, providing a safe, welcoming space for young people to connect,” Executive Constantine said after the tour. “I met Coach Tony Rago, who leads the PAL Boxing Club. I also toured the new multipurpose field that we built with funds generated by the King County Parks Levy so it can be used for soccer, lacrosse, and baseball.”
Heartfelt congrats to 2019 Bridge Fellowship graduates
This year, 27 employees King County employees graduated from the Bridge Fellowship at a ceremony in downtown Seattle. The Bridge Fellowship is a 20-week, intensive professional development program that provides opportunities for employee development and advancement.
From Standing Rock to Public Defense, Natasha brings a spirit of social activism to her work
By Leslie Brown, Department of Public Defense
In 2016, five months after graduating from Pepperdine University, Natasha Frazier headed from her home near Washington D.C. to the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota to support the growing resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
She pitched her one-person tent on the reservation, assuming she’d melt into the ranks of the swelling movement. But she quickly found herself drawn to the work of several volunteer defense lawyers and eventually joined the legal defense team in Mandan, North Dakota, a 40-minute drive from Standing Rock.
Natasha spent 15 months in Mandan, a small city on the Missouri River, where she lived within walking distance of the Morton County District Courthouse. The work – assisting attorneys representing the hundreds of protesters swept up in mass arrests – mattered deeply to her. Both her father and grandfather are from the Cheyenne River Reservation, which borders Standing Rock, and Natasha is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. She felt moved to help defend indigenous people and their allies seeking to protect the traditional homelands of the Lakota Sioux. Read more.
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Volunteer to be a Ballot Drop Box Closer
Looking for some Election Day excitement? Meet your neighbors and continue your commitment to public service by volunteering as a drop box closer. Drop box closers are the friendly face the public sees on Election Day, ensuring that every vote is counted and every voice is heard.
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Who: You and your co-workers!
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What: Closing ballot drop boxes across King County
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When: Election Night – August 6th from 6:30-8:30 pm
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Where: A drop box location near you
State law requires that ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. Election Day. Most voters wait until Election Day to return their ballots, with drop boxes seeing the most traffic in the final few hours. We need your help to provide customer service and assistance to voters using this last opportunity to return their ballots. Sign up and join us for a fun and fulfilling experience helping your neighbors experience the excitement and community of casting their ballots.
King County Elections has expanded our ballot drop boxes to nearly 70 over the last few years. We need your help to fill over 100 volunteer shifts across King County to bolster our operational capacity. You’ll be partnered with Elections staff and no experience is necessary – we provide all the training you need!
Join us in this pilot program by signing up to help with the Primary Election on August 6, 2019 from 6:30-8:30 pm.
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Share your ideas for future King County services
KCIT needs your to help shape the services you receive from King County.
We want to hear your ideas as KCIT develops the King County Strategic Information Technology Plan for 2020-2023.
As the regional government for 2.2 million people, King County wants to better leverage technological advances to provide our employees, residents and customers with the services they want in the way it works for them.
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Road to Retirement classes coming up!
Are you planning to retire in the next six months? If so, join your Retirement Team for this informative two-hour class. We’ll discuss procedures and forms, medical coverage options, and pension plans—so you’ll be on a smooth road toward a happy retirement.
Road to Retirement is offered in two locations: the Elections office in Renton and the Chinook Building in Seattle. Registration is required. Use the green Register button, then select the date and location. Upcoming dates:
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Tuesday, July 23: 10 a.m. – Noon, Renton
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Tuesday, July 30: 1 – 3 p.m., Seattle
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Tuesday, Aug. 20: 10 – Noon, Renton
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Tuesday, Aug. 27: 1 – 3 p.m., Seattle
Please note, attendance is strictly voluntary, on your own time, and non-work related. For more information, contact King County Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations at KC.Orientations@kingcounty.gov.
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Free admission: King County Employee Day at the races Sunday, July 21
King County employees and one guest will receive free admission to Emerald Downs Racetrack Sunday, July 21 for the King County Express Stakes, which includes the Fiesta Premio Esmeralda.
Employees must show their King County ID at any of the 12 gates, which will provide the employee and one guest tickets that include free admission, official program and tip sheet, and chips and soda. Children 17 and under get in free.
In addition to this year’s King County Express Stakes, there will be the Mt. Rainier Stakes – the final prep race for the richest race of the season, The Longacres Mile. Read more.
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State retirement plan contributions increased July 1
Employee and employer contribution rates for the following retirement plans changed on July 1, 2019, as approved by the State Legislature.
The PERS employer rate increased to 12.86% for PERS plan 3 and PERS JBM plans 1 and 3.
The new contribution amounts will be deducted from your second paycheck in July:
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If you are paid every other Thursday, your new contribution will appear on your July 25 paycheck.
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If you are paid on the 5th and 20th of the month, your new contribution will appear on your July 19 paycheck.
If you have any questions about the rate change, please contact the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) at 800-547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov. More information is available on the DRS website at www.drs.wa.gov.
PeopleSoft weekend outage beginning 6 p.m. Friday, July 12
To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of July 12 through July 14.
During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply updates and maintenance.
This work will begin on Friday, July 12, at 6 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed by 6:30 a.m. on Monday, July 15.
Please ensure that you have entered your time into PeopleSoft before 6 p.m., Friday, July 12, where appropriate.
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 realize that this outage impacts PeopleSoft users. We appreciate your understanding and support.
Final opportunity! Applications open for Professional Development Scholarships
Scholarships are intended to support employees in growing their careers at King County. This could include enhancing your knowledge and skills for your current job field; obtaining a professional certification, license, or pursuing a degree that is related to paid work performed at King County; or preparing you for a career change in job fields performed at King County. Each quarter, $37,500 of the $150,000 total 2019 budget is allocated for scholarship awards. There is a maximum allotment of $2,500 per qualified employee in 2019 for approved training opportunities. If there are more qualified applicants than funds available, a lottery process will be used.
The current application period closes July 26, 2019.
Please note that this is the final application process during the term of the one-year professional development fund pilot authorized by Article 12 of the Master Labor Agreement (MLA). The County will be evaluating the success of the pilot and a decision to continue the pilot will likely be negotiated in 2020 during bargaining for a successor MLA.
Training Spotlight
Defensive Driving, multiple dates: Dedicated to enhancing driving skills, reducing collisions and controlling insurance costs, this course focuses on accepting personal responsibility while operating a motor vehicle. Knowing why your vehicle performs the way it does, and understanding key concepts of safety, can reduce your chances of serious injury. A key objective of Defensive Driving training is to influence a person’s driving behavior. This we attempt to achieve through classroom interaction with not just the instructor, but with the other students as well. This certification is valid for 3 years. Register and learn more.
Tech Tip: Cyber Security Awareness Training is now available
To start your Cyber Security Awareness Training please login at:
Your account for Securing the Human:
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Username: King County email address
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Password: King County email password
For more information about Cyber Security please visit our Sharepoint site:
Pet of the Week: Tricksy
We have a treat for Pet of the Week – meet Tricksy!
This younger brown tabby is a huge softie with a heart of gold. Her personality color is “Easy Going Green,” meaning she is an adaptable cat who loves to go with the flow. Tricksy is very affectionate and just loves getting pets and spending time with her human friends. Although she may be a little timid with strangers, she will warm right up once she gets to know you! Read more.
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Featured Job: King County Multimedia Reporter Producer - Council
Salary: $70,688.00 - $95,068.00 Annually
Department: KCC - King County Council
Closing: 8/8/2019 11:59 PM Pacific
King County Television (KCTV) is seeking a multimedia reporter/producer to engage and connect citizens with County services, programs, issues, ideas and ideals. This innovative storyteller will develop and produce video and multimedia content for KCTV's cable channel and social media platforms overseeing production from script to screen. The person who fills this position will ensure all media content has high production value that is consistent with the Council and County's vision for Equity and Social Justice. Effective candidates will collaborate with the Council, Council leadership, County departments and staff to conceptualize, design and develop programming concepts and implementation strategies.
KCTV is an award-winning municipal television station that reflects, informs, and inspires the community it serves with a local mix of stories, analysis, and perspectives you won't find anywhere else.
Ideal candidates are creative, experienced storytellers who are innovative, organized, well versed in industry best practices and all aspects of video production from development through final edits. The most competitive candidates are passionate about providing quality programming to the citizens of King County; intellectually curious; have strong problem solving and communication skills; and work well in team environments.
KC Headlines in Header 2
Interested in sharing a news story, or have a news tip? Click here to submit an item to Employee News. For questions or suggestions, please contact KCEmployees@kingcounty.gov.
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