Happy Thanksgiving to all our employees, their families, and the community

During this national time of thanksgiving, we would like to say how thankful we are for our employees and their dedication to making King County a welcoming community and a great place to live.

Your work supporting and serving the 2.27 million people in our region does not go unnoticed. It is you, our employees, who move us forward, make an impact in people's lives, and deepen our impact on the community.

We give a special shout out to the employees who continue to serve King County over the Thanksgiving holiday – bus operators, corrections officers, sheriff’s deputies, medics, and many others.

Thank you to each and every one of you, our King County employees. Enjoy this time with one another and know we are grateful for you.

An Intern to GM: Driving King County Metro’s future

This article by Andrew Binion originally appeared in Seattle University Magazine.

Michelle Allison, ’10 MPA, started with the King County Council while working on her degree and 13 years later is leading the largest mass transit agency in the Northwest.

Sunday mornings after church in Michelle Allison’s hometown of Homer, Alaska, conversations would invariably shift to an announcement that a neighbor planned to drive the 220 miles to Anchorage—a 10-hour round trip.

Stops would be slated for Costco, the hardware store, the auto parts store and the like.

“What else do people need?” the driver would ask. Read more.

Recognizing Native American Heritage Month

Crossposted from Metro Matters

By De’Sean Quinn, King County Metro Assistant General Manager for Strategy and Partnerships

As Native American Heritage Month comes to a close, I invite you to join me in reflecting on the privilege of living in a region shaped by the deep history and enduring contributions of Native American communities.

In Washington state, 29 tribes are part of a network of more than 500 federally recognized tribes across the United States. In King County, we live on the ancestral lands of the Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Puyallup, Tulalip, Suquamish, Coast Salish Tribes, and the Duwamish people. For countless generations, these tribes have been stewards of this land. However, this land was acquired through broken treaties and unfulfilled promises, leaving a legacy of displacement and injustice. Recognizing this history is essential to understanding the ongoing challenges Native communities face today. Read more.

Thanksgiving is on its way: Help us “unstuff” our shelter by taking a pet Home for the Holidays!

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC

Like many animal shelters across the nation, Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) is overwhelmed with dogs and cats. To help ease the shelter space crunch, RASKC is waiving adoption fees for dogs through the end of the year during our “Home for the Holidays” promotion.

“Our dog kennels have been consistently at or over capacity all year,” said RASKC assistant operations manager Tim Anderson. “I can’t recall that happening in the last twelve years. So, by waiving adoption fees, we hope we can find a place for all the dogs that have been waiting patiently with us for their fur-ever family.” Read more.

Let’s play ball! Improving sports fields in King County

Crossposted from King County Parks

From baseball to soccer, lacrosse to cricket, sports fields are an important part of our community. They’re a place to hone new skills, learn the value of working on a team, a place to come together over the love of the game, and an opportunity to exercise and improve mental and physical wellbeing. The 2020-2025 King County Parks Levy has a variety of projects and funds that go to creating and improving existing sports fields on King County Parks properties and in local cities throughout the county. Read more.

Records Management Reminder: Content Manager (CM) is the required repository for all inactive electronic records

Content Manager (CM) is the name for King County’s enterprise records management system. According to Executive Policy, Content Manager is the required repository for “King County’s inactive electronic records.” This refers to electronic records in any format (including, but not limited to, email messages, Word documents, PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, photographs, video files, etc.).

Records can be filed to Content Manager from Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams; which are countywide tools where active records might be stored, especially while they are in draft status or being collaborated on.

Although policy requires that records are filed to Content Manager when they become inactive, they can be filed at any time in their lifecycle. Storing records in Content Manager ensures that records’ retention periods are calculated so that they can be dispositioned on a timely basis; preserves the security and integrity of records by keeping them unalterable and only accessible by the correct individuals; and meets requirements from state auditors.

Please remember that King County is a large organization and more specific guidance might apply to your agency (reach out to your records management lead for more information). For example, many county agencies manage active records in Content Manager as described in their standard work documentation. The Finance and Business Operations Division (FBOD) also requires that all electronic records needed to support p-card transactions are stored in Content Manager within 3 days of approval in EBS. P-card documentation should not be stored in SharePoint or Teams (except as transitory access copies).

For more information, visit the county’s Records Management Program website or contact them at records.management@kingcounty.gov.  The Records Management Program, in the Department of Executive Services, provides guidance, resources, and training to all King County employees to assist them with managing King County’s public records according to state and local legal requirements and best practices. 

Seattle Symphony discounts for upcoming holiday events

For six upcoming holiday concerts, employees can use promo code MERRY for 20% off the ticket cost and pay no handling fees. These concerts include:

• Holiday Pops, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m., Dec. 7 at 8 p.m., and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
• Canadian Brass: Making Spirits Bright, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
• Home Alone film - In concert with the Seattle Symphony, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m., Dec. 14 at 8 p.m., and Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.
• Handel Messiah, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 20 at 8 p.m., Dec. 21 at 8 p.m., and Dec. 22 at 2 p.m.
• A Festival of Lessons and Carols, Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
• New Year's Eve Concert and Party: Disco Fever, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.

King County employees can also receive 15% off the ticket cost and pay no ticket fees for most Seattle Symphony and National Geographic Live events, using promo code KINGSSO. View upcoming performances and purchase tickets at seattlesymphony.org/concerttickets.

See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.

Pet of the Week: Lydia

I am a two-year-old, female dog, Pit Bull mix, Brindle/white  color, ID #A718641. I weigh 56 lbs. and am considered a "large breed" dog. I love to play and have plenty of energy, I would do best in a home with older children as my energy level could be a bit much for younger kids. I also love treats and toys. I am a gentle and loving dog who likes to take things slow. I may get nervous in new situations, so I am looking for a family who understands that I might take some time to warm up. Once I get to know you, I will be a very devoted friend.

As Pet of the Week, my adoption fee has been reduced. You can find out more about me and my other friends on our website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. If you have more questions, you can contact RASKC via phone at 206-296-7387 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov.