Celebrating Black History Month in King County

King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed February 2021 to be Black History Month in King County.

“King County acknowledges the long history of forced enslavement, and institutional and structural racism toward African Americans in the U.S. and its generational impacts, and has committed itself to make progress on Equity and Social Justice, reflecting its commitment to racially just policies and practices that create opportunities for all people to thrive,“ Executive Constantine said in his Proclamation.

“The scientific, technological, economic, political, and cultural innovations by Black Americans and African Americans have been essential to the progress of our nation and we will continue to honor these accomplishments every month and every day in Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., County, Washington State.”

View the Executive’s proclamation here.   

Pause on visits to Administration Building remains in place

COVID-19 infection rates remain high In our region and we need to be vigilant in our efforts to slow the spread of the virus and make our workplaces safer for employees and the people we serve.

The county also continues to restrict employee access to its facilities and has extended the pause on employees accessing the Administration Building until further notice. Click here for details.

Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month (Nov. and Dec. 2020)

Every month, operators from King County Metro’s seven transit bases select their fellow drivers who make positive contributions to Metro and recognize them as Operators of the Month.

We want to introduce you to our Operators of the Month for November and December 2020. Please join us in congratulating them!

Read more of this post

Matt Adams recognized as Facilities Management Division Security Employee of the Year

Congratulations to Matt Adams, Facilities Management Division Security Employee of the Year for 2020. Adams was unanimously nominated by his supervisors and peers. Read more. 

Are you ready for winter weather?

There is a chance of lowland snow in our region this week, so now is a great time to ensure you are prepared for an emergency or inclement weather at home or work.  

Stay informed: Make sure you’re getting the latest King County information at work and at home in the event of inclement weather. Click here for more details. 

Your feedback needed! How was your Benefits Open Enrollment experience?

The COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges for the Benefits team and required them to do some things a little bit differently in 2020. Before they start making plans for this fall’s Open Enrollment, they’d like to hear how last year’s Open Enrollment went for you.

Please take a moment to complete the four-question Open Enrollment Survey by Feb. 28. Your responses will help us take actionable steps to ensure a great experience this fall.

 If you have questions about your employee benefits, call the Benefits team 206-684-1556 or email KC Benefits.

Balanced You 30-day Self-Care Challenge: Week 2

Last week we kicked off our 30 day Self-Care Challenge. Hopefully you had a chance to try one of our suggested self-care ideas but if not, we have more for you this week! Try a few of these ideas for yourself or with your family:

• As the winter months continue we recognize it may be challenging to go outdoors in the cold so Balanced You, in partnership with Vivecorp, developed a series of free live exercise classes!
• Many of us are missing that connection with our fellow employees. Take a few moments to schedule a zoom coffee chat to catch up! You only need 10 -15 min to connect and say hello.
• Make your mental health a priority. Balanced You and our partners have several free resources available for employees to help you get through these uncertain times. Check out the mental health resources here.
• Try a Mindfulness Class. Balanced You partners with Mindfulness Northwest to bring you a variety of classes that teach you how to keep calm and ways to alleviate stress. View our upcoming class schedule here.

Accessible COVID-19 interview series for deaf and hard of hearing 

Seattle and King County created a COVID-19 video series that is accessible to community members who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing including ASL interpretation, captions, and transcripts.

Go to Public Health Insider for more details. 

I Am Not Your Negro

SPARKS! film screening and discussion

The Department of Executive Services is sponsoring the SPARKS! Conversation Series on equity, social justice, and cultural fluency featuring a topical feature film or documentary. This is an opportunity to screen films together and have a facilitated discussion immediately following. Please join us for a free screening of I Am Not Your Negro.

• Friday, Feb. 26 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
• Contact Cecelia Hayes for the link to the screening

On-demand "Mini Move Break" videos now available for employees    

Employees now have access to two new 10-minute, on-demand exercise videos. These videos, produced by Balanced You’s partner Vivecorp, can be used by employees anytime and anywhere to move your body and break up your day. Access the videos alone, or consider integrating them into team meetings.

Check out the videos here by scrolling down to Mini Move Break. For more information, contact BalancedYou@KingCounty.gov.

Presidential Executive Order on Racial Equity recognizes the importance of geography

President Biden's “Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” significantly references the importance of geography in understanding inequity and to advance social justice. 

Greg Babinski, Manager, GIS Center Finance and Marketing, recently published a blog explaining how this order complements the work being done by King County on equity and social justice. Read more here.

Improving power supply quality at West Point Treatment Plant to continue our clean-water mission

As a clean water agency, Wastewater Treatment's mission is to protect public health and the environment. The department works 24/7 to serve over 1.8 million residents and clean about 190 million gallons of water per day. The West Point Treatment plant is updating capabilities to ensure systems run smoothly. Read the story here. 

DNR Capital Project Manager