Employee News - Nov. 23

A service of the King County Department of Human Resources

King County Employee News

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Highlights

Patti Cole-Tindall

Executive Constantine appoints interim Sheriff; announces plan for retention and recruitment bonuses

King County Undersheriff Patti Cole-Tindall has been named interim Sheriff, effective January 1, taking over the duties of the office to ensure a smooth transition and ongoing leadership while a nationwide recruitment process is completed. She will be the first person of color in the Sheriff position in King County’s history.

Additionally, today’s appointment included the announcement of a proposal to be transmitted to the King County Council to appropriate funds for recruitment and retention bonuses for existing and new Sheriff Officers. 

Read the full announcement here.


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Executive Constantine and Mayor Durkan announce land swap for City Hall Park

King County and the City of Seattle have come to an agreement on a land swap to transfer ownership of City Hall Park from the City of Seattle to King County in exchange for multiple county-owned properties, including a park in South Park.

Read the full announcement here


thanksgiving

County offices closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving holiday 

King County government offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26 in recognition of the Thanksgiving holiday. All offices will reopen on Monday, Nov. 29

Click here for Metro Transit bus schedules.

If you have questions about your holiday schedule, please speak to your supervisor. Have a safe and healthy holiday.


Employee Spotlights

Crosswalk

Metro wins national award for improving data on sidewalks

Cross-posted from Metro Matters

Sidewalks are essential to safely get to transit, especially for people with disabilities, seniors, and youth. But it can be tough for cities and transit agencies to assess the conditions of the hundreds of miles of sidewalk and paths around a region.

To gather better information to improve pedestrian safety and transit access, King County Metro joined our Access paratransit contractor, MV Transportation, to develop CommonPaths. This new technology recently received the “Innovative Solutions Award” from METRO Magazine, an official voice of the national transit industry.

Read the full story here. 


Announcements

VPN Cisco icon

Connecting to VPN? You’ll need to verify your identity

King County’s AnyConnect VPN software will get Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) security starting on December 1.

What does this mean for you? Each time you connect to VPN you must provide your username (username@kingcounty.gov) and password, and verify your identity on a separate device such as a cell phone or digital fob – just like when you access your Microsoft account.

For employees currently enrolled in MFA, no additional action is necessary. Simply respond to the MFA security requests on your enrolled device, as described below.

Click here for details and instructions. 


coffee connection campfire holiday

Balanced You Coffee Connections: Share your favorite holiday traditions

We all have different ways of bringing in the holidays. Maybe it’s a pajama holiday movie marathon, cooking your favorite dishes, telling stories while drinking hot cocoa, or a family game night.

Take a break with Balanced You to share your favorite things to do with family and friends during the holidays.


Grateful image

The Power of Gratitude

As we approach Thanksgiving (Nov. 25) and Native American Heritage Day (Nov. 26), Balanced You would like to express our gratitude to our fellow public servants. Taking a moment to feel or express gratitude can help increase positive emotions, decrease stress, and build stronger relationships.

What are you grateful for today? Try incorporating a short break in your day to write down three things you feel grateful for.


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MLK Day Committee wants you to share your Stories of Hope

Every year the King County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day committee chooses a theme that guides the tone of the event. This year, the theme focuses on stories of hope and these words from author and activist James Baldwin:

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

To help celebrate, the committee would like to hear from King County employees and asks that you share with us your stories of hope, strength, resilience, compassion, and determination in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to read more and get information on how to submit your stories.


PeopleSoft Fluid Timesheet Guy

Coming soon - New Fluid Timesheets

If you enter time using the PeopleSoft timesheet, this message is for you. Your timesheet will be getting a makeover as we transition away from the existing “classic” timesheet to the new fluid timesheet.

Stay tuned, more details will be coming as we get closer to the Dec. 6 launch date.


Transportation

Need transportation to vaccination? The Vaccine Transportation Helpline can get you there

Cross-posted from Public Health Insider

Vaccination appointments are in high demand again as families seek COVID-19 vaccination for their children and eligibility broadens for booster shots. But how can you take advantage of this critically important protection if you can’t get to a vaccination appointment? When you aren’t sure how you’ll get there, an appointment that is one neighborhood away may as well be across the county.

The King County COVID-19 Vaccine Mobility Task Force has been working to remove obstacles to vaccination. They established a one-stop-shop Coordinated Vaccine Transportation Helpline to help people find transportation to vaccination sites. Click here to find out more. 


whiteboard

Tech Tip: Teams Whiteboards have a ton of new features, including Kanban templates

Whiteboards in Microsoft Teams are better than ever! Instead of just a blank Whiteboard, now you can choose from several options such as a Kanban board or project management template to guide your collaborations. Plus, Whiteboards now let you add images, sticky notes, and reaction icons to add context to your discussions. Teams Whiteboards let you draw, sketch, and write on a shared digital canvas in your Teams Meeting or Teams Channel.

To learn about these new updates, watch the demo video hosted by our Microsoft partners: MS Office Hours – Whiteboard or use this handy Whiteboard One-Pager. These new features are available for all King County Teams users. If you need help with Whiteboards, Executive branch employees can LiveChat with the KCIT Helpdesk. Employees in separately-elected agencies can contact their department IT support.


Training Spotlight:

  • Leader Mindset – Online – Leader Mindset for King County supervisors and managers sets a foundation that leading a team starts with understanding yourself and your responsibility to create a team culture of belonging where all employees can thrive. In this interactive webinar, participants will take part in engaging activities, small group discussions and action planning. This training is free and will be offered on multiple dates with the next session on:
  • Staying Steady – Online – 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 held:

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


POTW Izzy

Pet of the Week: Izzy

I'm a 50-pound. loveable female looking for a forever home. 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! I love going for long trail walks and getting out into nature.

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.


Featured Job

Plans Examination Engineer III - Energy Code

Salary: $91,062.40 - $115,419.20 Annually 

Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)

Department: DLS - Dept. of Local Services

Job Number: 2021SS14562

Division: Permitting

Open until filled

The Plans Examination Engineer III will perform specialized plan examinations of building plans and supporting documentation for structures and developments to ensure compliance with energy, mechanical  fire/life safety, accessibility, and other county, state, and federal building code regulations, as well as perform inspections for compliance with the King County codes. This person provides direct service by conducting pre-application and construction consultation meetings, researching code requirements and permit histories, and onsite observations and inspections.

Learn more about this position or view all available positions


King County Headlines

Centering Youth Voice: The Youth Bill of Rights Project cross-posted from Best Starts for Kids

Tips for supporting youth mental health cross-posted from Public Health Insider

Major construction contract marks milestone in King County Metro’s battery-bus efforts cross-posted from Metro Matters

Contact us

Interested in sharing a news story, or have a news tip? Click here to submit an item to Employee News. For questions or suggestions, please contact KCEmployees@kingcounty.gov.

Back issues of the newsletter

Click here for previous editions of the Employee News e-newsletter going back to 2019.