Smooth sailing: 15 years of the King County Water Taxi
Crossposted from the Captains Blog
In 2009:
- Barack Obama made history.
- Captain Sully landed on the Hudson.
- “Slumdog Millionaire” won eight Oscars.
- Matt Hasselbeck was under center for the Seahawks.
- Ken Griffey, Jr. returned to the Mariners.
- And King County started sailing the Salish Sea!
This year marks the 15th anniversary of King County providing passenger-only service to the residents of Vashon Island and the beginning of the King County Water Taxi.
“The water taxi is a vital part of our regional transit system,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “The enthusiastic response to regular midday service for both West Seattle and Vashon is no surprise. Here’s to many more years of smooth sailings and happy Water Taxi passengers.” Read more.
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Reminder: 2025 benefit deductions show on today’s paystub
Today is the first payday of the year, and you may notice differences in the deductions taken out for your benefits, depending on the selections you made during Open Enrollment. Earnings for the Dec. 7–20, 2024, pay period are paid in 2025, so 2025 benefit deductions begin on the first paycheck of the year, Jan. 2.
Those in the Regular Employee Benefit Group will see premium share deductions for the Regence medical plans: KingCare PPO ($75 per month) and KingCare Select ($50 per month). Pre-tax deductions for employee premium shares will be split evenly and deducted from the first two paychecks of the month. The Regular Employee Benefit Group includes all non-represented employees and employees whose unions are part of the Joint Labor Management Insurance Committee (JLMIC).
In addition, most employees who cover a spouse or state-registered domestic partner on your employee medical plan will see increased deductions for your Spouse Benefit Access Fees. Spouse Benefit Access Fees are also split evenly and deducted pre-tax from the first two paychecks of the month.
To view your paystub, go to PeopleSoft, select the Payroll tile, then select the Check Date. 2025 benefit information shows in the sections for Before Tax Deductions, After Tax Deductions, and Employer Paid Benefits. For additional information, see How to read your Pay Advice.
January is a three-payday month
This year, there will be three paydays in January! Jan. 30 will be your third payday of the month and the net dollar amount will be larger because not all deductions are taken out. For example, Deferred Compensation, supplemental insurance premiums, Benefit Access Fees, and Employee Giving donations are not deducted from these checks. For more the payday schedule, see the 2025 Payroll Calendar.
More information
- For help with PeopleSoft, call the IT Service Center at 206-263-4357.
- Call Benefits, Payroll and Retirement at 206-684-1556 or email KC Benefits. Language assistance and disability support services are available.
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Update: King County programs helps a young person secure his dream job
In the span of a little more than a year, 19-year-old Jordan Kinney shifted from feeling hopeless to securing a dream job, with help from King County youth programs.
Earlier this year, we shared Jordan’s story, just after he had landed an internship with King County International Airport with support from the King County program, Career LaunchPad. Since then, he’s managed to achieve another goal, getting a full-time permanent position at the airport as a Utility Maintenance worker. Read more.
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Storm damage? You may qualify for a low interest loan
Crossposted from KC Emergency News
If your home or business was damaged between Nov. 17 – 25 due to the bomb cyclone, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, or mudslides, you may qualify for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience low-interest loan. These loans cover disaster losses not fully covered by insurance or other sources. Proceeds from insurance coverage on home or property may be deducted from the eligible loan amount. Interest on the loan does not begin to accrue nor do the repayments start until 12 months after receiving the initial payment. Applicants can apply online or receive face-to-face application assistance by visiting an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center. Detailed information on the locations of these centers will be made available soon.
Information you may need when you apply for the loan includes the name and address which suffered damages, contact information for all applicants or owners, Social Security numbers for all applicants, all insurance policy information including the Agent or Carrier contact information and claims filed, and lease agreement information for renters. Read more.
King County Metro Vanpool to add 120 more electric vehicles
Crossposted from Metro Matters
King County Metro is taking another step toward a more sustainable future by adding 120 electric vehicles to our vanpool fleet.
The new seven-passenger vehicles will join our nearly two dozen electric compact vanpool cars already on the road. Following this procurement, almost 10 percent of Metro’s vanpool fleet will be electric. Read more.
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Records Management Reminder: The retention of records depends on their content, not on their format
Not every record is created equal! There is not a single retention requirement for emails, photographs, text messages, or any other format of record. The content of a record determines if it needs to be kept and how long it needs to be retained for.
To determine what the appropriate retention is your for your records, look at your retention schedule, ask your records management lead, or reach out to us!
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.
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Get Movin 2025 Schedule and upcoming classes
Movement and physical activity are proven to have a positive impact on mental health. These 30-minute movement breaks are free and virtual so you can tap in from anywhere and benefit from the instruction of a certified trainer. Classes are for all levels, from beginner to advanced.
Check out upcoming classes listed below and the 2025 schedule here.
Supervisors: Here is a printer-friendly PDF with the new Get Movin' winter 2025 schedule to post at your worksites for employees who do not have access to email.
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Discount to Summit at Snoqualmie
Discounts for the Summit at Snoqualmie Winter 2024-2025 season are now available. To take advantage of the King County discounts for select online advanced lift ticket reservations, visit summitatsnoqualmie.com/lift-tickets and apply discount code 25Summit7jmq in cart during the checkout process.
Purchases must be made with this discount code via the Summit at Snoqualmie Online Store to be eligible for discounts. For help, reach out to the Summit at Snoqualmie customer service team at summitatsnoqualmie.com/contact-us.
View all available discounts at kingcounty.gov/employeediscounts.
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Training Spotlights:
Brain-based Time Management – Online – Are you overwhelmed by your To Do list(s)? Find out what your brain needs to keep all your tasks in perspective, prioritize them, and have a clear path to get them finished. This class includes information about multitasking, a mindfulness practice to reduce physical stress, and techniques to work with interruptions and distractions. We will also practice effective weekly planning.
- Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon. Fees apply. Enroll here.
ERSJ Fundamentals: A Journey Through Socialization – Join us in this engaging workshop where we will explore the complex nature of socialization and its impact on our views, beliefs, and behaviors and gain deep understanding of how systemic biases are embedded in our society. We will explore strategies for building inclusive communities where all individuals, regardless of their background, can thrive. Together, we aim to empower participants to take meaningful actions that drive social change and promote justice in their own spheres of influence. (Eligible for 2.75 SHRM PDC)
Building High Trust Cultures – Online – When work cultures and relationships are rooted in trust and psychological safety there is less stress, burnout, and turnover, as well as higher team performance, innovation, and engagement. Trust is a crucial component to successful interpersonal and team dynamics, all of which are impacted by social identities. Using age/generation as an illustrative example, this course shows that healthy workplaces rely on a foundation of trust. As a leadership cornerstone, building trust fosters a culture of inclusion and belonging where every employee can bring their authentic self so their strengths shine. (Eligible for 3.75 SHRM PDC)
- Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enroll here.
Please visit our Learning and Development training website and our Career Support Services website for more learning opportunities. Also, for discounted college continuing education opportunities, visit our Discounts webpage and expand the Higher Education menu! For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at kingcounty.gov/learning.
Featured Job: Housing Stability Evaluator (Evaluator)
Salary: $100,568.00 - $127,462.40 Annually
Location: 401 5th Avenue - Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Job Number: 20242SC3289
Department: DCHS - Community & Human Srvcs
Division: Comm & Human Svcs Admin
Opening Date: 12/27/2024
Closing Date: 1/11/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: C23 : PROTEC17-Non-Sups Staff (DCHS)
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours/Week: 40 hours/week
The Performance Measurement and Evaluation (PME) unit is recruiting for one mid-level evaluator position. This evaluator position is centrally located within the PME unit of the DCHS Director's Office. PME is composed of a team of nearly 50 dedicated program evaluators and data analysts who work with program staff and providers to develop frameworks for understanding the outcomes and equity impacts of DCHS programs. This work includes determining appropriate performance measures, managing data collection, supporting continuous quality improvement, and conducting in-depth analyses to inform decision making and improve service delivery. PME disseminates research and evaluation findings and promotes organizational learning through published reports and online dashboards.
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
King County Headlines
Clean Water Stories: Closing out 2024 with big wins for Puget Sound
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