Abigail Echo-Hawk and Dr. Ben Danielson will serve alongside King County Executive Dow Constantine as co-chairs of King County’s Racism is a Public Health Crisis (RPHC) community oversight committee.
Echo-Hawk, Executive Vice President of Seattle Indian Health Board and the Director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, and Dr. Danielson, M.D. of the University of Washington, will serve as co-chairs for the County’s Racism is a Public Health Crisis community oversight committee to oversee a $25 million community fund.
Click here to read the full announcement.
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Street and sidewalk closures around City Hall Park
A series of street, lane, and sidewalk closures will commence Friday, August 13, around City Hall Park as the City of Seattle prepares to close the park and begin restoration at the site.
For the past six weeks, a County and City-funded contractor called the JustCARE program has been working with the 50-plus people living in the park, located just south of the King County Courthouse, to help them move voluntarily to safer and more sustainable shelter options. This includes individual safety and shelter plans for each person. As of today, almost all the people who were living in the park have now vacated it, moving to indoor shelter options provided by the City and County.
The City of Seattle has posted signage at the park announcing that it will close City Hall Park Friday morning, August 13 to begin restoration work at and around the park. Read about street, lane, and sidewalk closures that will occur as part of this work.
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Cross-posted from the Water Taxi’s Captain’s Blog
The crew of the West Seattle Water Taxi Doc Maynard rescued two boaters whose sailboat capsized off Duwamish Head shortly after 12 p.m.
The Doc Maynard had just left West Seattle’s Seacrest Dock on its 12 p.m. sailing to downtown Seattle when the crew spotted two people in the water next to a capsized sailboat.
Read the full story here.
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Take care working outdoors during hot weather
Hot weather has arrived with temperatures into the high 90s now upon us. It’s important to take steps to stay cool while continuing to follow mask requirements and public health guidance.
Some of our work needs to be performed outdoors. Executive Branch departments should evaluate planned field work to determine if this work can be postponed to a later time when temperatures moderate, where possible. If work must be performed, departments should attempt to adapt schedules wherever possible so work can be performed in the morning.
Click here for more tips and information.
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Cross-posted from Executive Services Express
Sophia Lopez, Emergency Management Program Manager, has been elected as the chair of the King County Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Advisory Committee.
The EEO/AA committee is an employee-based committee that serves in an advisory capacity to the Executive in developing and reviewing strategies, systems, policies and guidelines to implement and enhance the Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Plans in the King County Executive Branch.
Read the full announcement here.
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What to do if you lose your COVID-19 vaccine card
When you receive your COVID-19 vaccine, you get a vaccination card to prove it. Keep it safe! You should treat it like you would your credit cards, driver's license, or passport. Your card is not just a scheduling reminder: it is an official record that you may need for travel, event access, and possibly booster doses later.
If you've misplaced or lost your card, don't worry! You can get official, verified proof of your COVID-19 vaccination online, for free. The MyIR website is an official state pathway to access proof of vaccination in Washington state. Find out how.
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Using the online security report form
King County’s online security incident report form is available for employees to report non-emergency incidents that happen at work or on their commute that don’t rise to the need for a call for police assistance.
You can use this form to report non-emergency incidents to the Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Unit. Do not use this form to report an emergency. In an emergency, call 9-1-1 for immediate assistance.
The form will ask you to add the incident date, time, and place, and a description of the incident; you can also use a map to identify the location of the incident. It will also ask you for information about you as well as your contact information, and a description of people Involved. You also have the option to upload photos or other documents
If you see anything or anyone that looks unusual or out of place, please use the online security incident report form or call FMD Security at 206-296-5000. If it’s an emergency, call 9-1-1 first, then call FMD Security when you are able.
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Making Your Life Easier: Daily Living Services
You may have heard of Making Life Easier (MLE) as a free mental health counseling service for King County employees, but did you know MLE offers many more services, beyond mental health support, designed to truly help make life easier for you and your family?
MLE has a free benefit called Daily Living Services. The Daily Living Consultants can provide resources, referrals and consultations on any number of personal tasks like finding moving and relocation services, pet sitters, home repair professionals and much more. The Daily Living benefit includes unlimited calls and instant messages to consultants.
Read more about MLE’s Daily Living service on the Balanced You blog.
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Balanced You Coffee Connections: Summer Vacation
Fall is fast approaching and Balanced You wants to know what you did for your summer! Many of us had a few fun getaways this summer and many are scrambling to figure out that last minute vacation spot before the end of summer.
Join us for the next Balanced You Coffee Connections; the theme will be "Your summer vacation/End of summer plans." Bring pictures and fun items you collected while on your recent vacation or share where you are planning to go with colleagues during this 30-minute fun conversation.
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Training Spotlight
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Staying Steady – Online – From our Leading the Way series. As leaders we are often balancing multiple priorities and demands. This year has been especially difficult in finding ways to stay steady ourselves and ensure the wellbeing of our teams, especially as we continue with Future of Work planning, re-entry anxiety at home/work, and racism as a public health crisis. Join us for an interactive session that focuses on prioritizing your wellbeing as a leader and supporting your team with strategies to build a sense of stability and resiliency, to work more effectively. Sessions are free and are offered monthly. The next session will be:
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Mentorship Lunch & Learn – Online – Would you like to have a mentor, someone who can help you grow professionally? Do you want to strengthen your coaching skills? As a Mentee, you will have a trusted advisor who can help you navigate complex situations, and as a Mentor, you can uncover new or forgotten skills and build influence. This Lunch and Learn is free and the next session is:
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Brain-based Time Management – Online – Do you procrastinate, get distracted, have a hard time prioritizing, or feel overwhelmed? What we do and how we do it are driven by how our brains are wired. Neuroscience tells us we have 10 brain skills and each one of us has skills that are strong (and skills that are not so strong). In this class, you’ll hear about each of these skills so you can identify where the weak areas are for you and most importantly, learn what you can do about it. Imagine finishing your workday with confidence that you remembered and handled everything you needed to! This class is $50.00 with multiple offerings. The next session takes place:
Please visit our King County Eventbrite website and our Learning and Development website for more learning opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Security Tip: Lock Your Screen
Locking your screen when you get up from your desk is a security action that is often overlooked and can have dangerous consequences. Failing to lock your screen can open you up to several vulnerabilities--some more serious than others.
Although many organizations have a policy which automatically locks your screen with a screen saver after a certain amount of inactivity, not all screen savers are password-protected, leaving your workstation defenseless.
Here are a few actions the bad guys can do when you leave your workstation unlocked and unattended:
- Files can be downloaded from the internet and executed on your computers, such as malware, spyware, keyloggers, and other types of malicious software.
- Emails can be sent from your email address to coworkers, your boss, or other business contacts.
- If you save passwords in your browser (another no-no), they now have access to your online banking, Facebook, and other accounts.
Locking your workstation before you get up from your desk is simple and can prevent you from ending up in a bad situation. Here are some ways you can lock your workstation:
- Press the Windows key + the L key at the same time on your keyboard.
- Press and hold Ctrl+Alt+Del and then choose Lock This Computer.
Get in the habit of locking your screen. If nothing else, it will prevent coworkers from sending prank emails from your account!
Pet of the Week: Cordelia
Hi! My name is Cordelia and I am available for adoption. I am a four-year-old female shorthair rabbit.
Rabbits are intelligent and complex animals. The best way to bond with me is to spend time with me on the floor, and shower me with plenty of greens and timothy hay!
You can find out more about me and my other friends on our website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Note that RASKC has moved to adoptions by appointment only. If you have more questions, you can contact RASKC via phone at 206-296-7387 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov.
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Featured Job: Insurance and Contracts Analyst (Project/Program Manager II)
Salary: $37.97 - $48.13/Hr
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DES - Executive Services
Job Number: 2021JI13965
Division: Risk Management
Closes Aug. 15
King County's Office of Risk Management Services is seeking an Insurance & Contracts Analyst (Project/Program Manager 2) who will perform a range of duties vital to insurance program development and maintenance, risk transfer formulation, and arrangement of contractual insurance provisions and requirements tailored to various County engagements.
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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King County Headlines
‘It’s a great day to ride Metro’ campaign launches - cross-posted from Metro Matters
Where do you store 1 million respirators?
King County protecting farmland, connecting communities
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