From the Hip: Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
Why our True North and Values are important
When King County employees talk about why they chose to work here, the answers tend to be pretty similar: “I want to help my community.” “I want to make a difference in people’s lives.” “I want to do the work I really care about.”
It’s no surprise that these responses are closely aligned with our True North – Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive – because it’s a vision that succinctly captures the work that we do and why we do it.
We are a big organization, 19 departments and agencies across the three branches of government, with multiple divisions, services, worksites, and lines of business. The work that we do is incredibly diverse; the services we provide are varied.
Yet all of our work is connected by a common goal: to make this community better, or to make it a welcoming community where every person can thrive. Read more.
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Brater named ‘County Engineer of the Year’
Road Services Division Director Rick Brater has been named the Washington State County Road Administration Board’s “County Engineer of the Year.”
He received the award at the Board’s Summer Conference in June.
Nominated by King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, Brater was recognized as a strong manager and leader who is responsible for a regional transportation system of 1,500 miles of roads and 182 bridges, and a staff of 400 people, including six maintenance divisions. Read more.
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Automated, online Employment and Income Verification services now available to all employees
In order to better serve you, King County has partnered with InVerify, an Income and Employment Verification service, to meet all of your verification of employment needs. By automating this process, we are ensuring speedy, secure, auditable, and legally compliant responses to assist you in obtaining:
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Loans, home mortgages, new jobs, rental qualifications, and
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Social Service benefits such as temporary assistance, housing assistance, child support, or nutrition assistance.
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King County names new Children and Family Justice Center after the late Judge Patricia Hall Clark
On July 24, 2019, the King County Council voted to name the new Children and Family Justice Center in honor of the late Judge Patricia Hall Clark. Her family was on hand to speak of her commitment to our youth and the court. The late Patricia H. Clark received her JD from the University of Washington in 1987, recognized for her outstanding abilities as an oral advocate. She joined the King County Prosecutor’s Office Criminal Division before leaving to teach at the Seattle University Law Clinic. She joined the Superior Court bench in 1998. Read more.
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Make your commute easier with a reserved parking spot at Metro’s busiest park-and-rides
King County Metro will begin charging $20-$90 a month to reserve a parking space at some of the busiest park-and-ride lots and garages, providing more parking options to transit riders who can’t arrive early enough to find a spot.
Monthly permits are scheduled to go on sale this fall for the Aurora Village Transit Center and park-and-rides at Bear Creek, Bothell, Issaquah Highlands, Kenmore, Redmond, South Kirkland, Tukwila, and Shoreline. These lots are regularly 90% or more full early in the morning on weekdays. Read more.
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Get Ready for Wildfire Smoke Season
Summer has finally arrived and with it comes the risk that we will once again experience unhealthy levels of air quality due to wildfire smoke.
Washington state has declared a state of drought and there have already been a record number of small wildfires across western Washington this year. As a result of climate change, we should be prepared for more frequent and larger wildfires during Pacific Northwest summers.
Before the smoke arrives, take steps to protect your health from smoke at home and work. Read more.
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Employee discounts for UW football and Seattle Symphony
King County employees can now take advantage of two new discounts:
University of Washington football: UW vs. Eastern Washington University, Saturday August 31 and UW vs. USC, Saturday, Sept. 28. To access the discount, visit this link here.
Seattle Symphony: Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Use promo code 1920FINAL for no fees on ticket purchases. To order tickets visit www.seattlesymphony.org and enter the promo code, order by phone at 206-215-4747 or 1-866-833-4747 and give the operator the promo code, or purchase tickets in person at the Benaroya Hall Box Office.
Clean Water Plan Employee Open House, today 1-3 p.m.
Over the next few decades, our region will spend billions of dollars to protect water quality in our rivers, lakes, and Puget Sound. The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks is preparing a Clean Water Plan so we make the right water quality investments at the right time. King County needs to update its wastewater plan and understand other ways to achieve clean water in the region.
We are having a conversation about the plan because we want to hear from you about the best ways to make these investments. Join us today from 1-3 p.m. at King Street Center in the 8th floor conference room.
As a King County employee, your perspective is valuable. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the Clean Water Plan and share what’s important to you concerning the future of our communities, our health, our environment, and how we use and take care of our water bodies for decades to come.
Unable to attend the Employee Open House at King Street Center? Learn how you can still participate. Read more.
GoGreen at Movies@Marymoor August 7
Come out for GoGreen Night during King County Parks’ Movies@Marymoor on Wednesday, August 7, for the screening of Incredibles 2. Multiple programs and services will host informational booths to help people learn about King County’s great programs and services for a chance to win a pair of Marymoor Park Concert tickets.
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Cine en el Parque August 10
Join us at Cine en el Parque on Saturday, August 10 for the screening of Spider-Man: Un Nuevo Universo. “Cine en el Parque” is a free outdoor movie at Dick Thurnau Park in White Center. Movies are projected onto a 40-foot-tall inflatable movie screen (bigger than most indoor theatres) that turns the Park into a spectacular outdoor cinema under the stars. The movie is free, so grab a blanket, a lawn chair, family, friends, neighbors or co-workers, and head to our fourth-annual “Cine en el Parque.” There will be games, music, prizes, snack booths and much more.
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Join us for #CityHallSelfie Day on August 15
Show your King County pride! If you’re at lunch or on break, meet us at the Administration Building on the Fifth Avenue side at noon on Thursday, Aug. 15. We’ll take a group photo and post it on the county’s social media feeds to celebrate #CityHallSelfie Day. (Just because we’re a county doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with this!)
If you work elsewhere around King County, hop in front of your building, snap a picture, and send it to socialmedia@kingcounty.gov and we’ll share it. You can also feel free to share our posts and use the hashtag #CityHallSelfie in your own posts. City Hall Selfie Day is sponsored by ELGL, Engaging Local Government Leaders.
Training Spotlight
La Cultura Cura Philosophy Overview, Sept. 17: The National Compadres Network in partnership with King County's Office of Equity and Social Justice presents La Cultura Cura Philisophy Overview: A Training on the National Compadres Network Healing Informed Philosophy and Framework with Jerry Tello. La Cultura Cura is a transformative health, learning, justice, and healing philosophy that recognizes that within individuals’, families’ and communities’ authentic cultural values, traditions and indigenous practices exist the path to healthy development, restoration and lifelong well-being. Register and learn more.
Pet of the Week: Rosie
A kitty by any other name would be just as sweet – meet Rosie, our Pet of the Week!
Rosie is a 5-year-old shorthair calico cat. This gorgeous girl has a “Rambunctious Red” personality, meaning she is a spirited cat with a fun-loving personality. Rosie is such a sweet girl and just loves hanging out with her human friends. She loves attention and will even reach out to you as you pass by to get your attention. Read more.
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Featured Job: Featured Job: Real Property Agent III-IV
Salary: $82,347.20 - $120,348.80 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Multiple job types-career service and/or temp
Department: DNRP - Natural Resources & Parks
Job Number: 2019-10373
Closing: 8/22/2019 11:59 PM Pacific
The Capital Planning and Land Management Section in the Parks and Recreation Division is currently seeking highly qualified candidates to fill two current vacancies: a Career Service/FTE Real Property Agent IV position and a Term Limited Temporary or Special Duty Assignment Real Property Agent III position. This recruitment will also be used to fill future vacancies over the next six months. In this role, you will have the opportunity to be part of a dedicated Land Management team who is committed to responsible stewardship of our thriving and growing regional open space and trails system, passionate about serving the public and dedicated to continuous process improvement. The Real Property Agent IV is recognized as an expert in a highly specialized real property field. RPA IV's support major capital infrastructure projects; manage the review and approval process for complex development proposals on Parks' property that involve interagency, inter-jurisdictional or multi-disciplinary coordination; and recommend and help develop overall program strategies. This is a Career Service position.
KC Headlines
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