Whether out in the community or at a job site, FAS teams work daily to serve the residents of Seattle. This feature spotlights those behind-the-scenes moments of good work.

The ADA Title II team, Joy Jacobson from Purchasing and Contracting and Alex Rao from Capital Development participated in a walkthrough with members of the Supported Employee Workgroup and Seattle HR. In this photo, they are seen demonstrating the accessibility features of the new SMT elevator touchscreen controls and providing suggestions to make the elevators more accessible and user-friendly. Pictured (from left to right) Joy Jacobson (PC), ASL Interpreter, Heather Weldon (SHR), Alex Rao (CD), Michael Allen (Seattle Fire Department) and T.J. Maciel (Seattle City Light).

 

The ADA Title II team works to ensure the City of Seattle provides people with disabilities an equal opportunity to access City services, programs and activities.

 

 

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The Customer Service Bureau team held a day-long retreat to plan for the year ahead and learn more about each other’s work styles.

Whether your contact concerns a compliment, complaint, comment, request for service or suggestion, the Customer Service Bureau is committed to listening to what you have to say.

 

 

 

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FAS Change Team members attended the Seattle Office for Civil Rights “Healing, Belonging and Unity” Summit on March 24, 2023.

The FAS Change Team works to:

• Promote equity, diversity and transparency in department transactions.
• Seek ways to further incorporate racial equity into FAS lines of business, through the racial equity toolkit as well as other means.
• Grow the community of FAS employees who bring a racial and social justice lens to the work they do every day as public servants for the City of Seattle.

Featured here are Change Team members (from left) Lisa Tran, Zebedee Hill, Meech Pelletier, Mignon Morris and Katy Tassery at the RSJI Summit held at Seattle Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether out in the community or at a job site, Facilities and Administrative Services (FAS) teams work daily to serve the residents of Seattle. Here’s some efforts we worked on in February and March.

FAS’s Capital Development (CD) division plans, designs and builds City structures, facilities and work spaces in a manner that is fiscally responsible, environmentally sustainable and responsibly compliant with equal access for all.

CD is currently working on several projects in the Seattle Fire Department Headquarters building on March 7. The SFD HQ is a historic building that requires regular maintenance and asset preservation work to keep it functional. The photo to the right shows a group of Capital Development staff doing a site visit of the SFD HQ freight elevator replacement project and roof replacement project scheduled to start in a few months.

 

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The Customer Service Centers staff in FAS’s Customer Service Division held a retreat earlier in the year at the Central District Customer Service Center (left). The group talked about their work, enjoyed team building exercises and networked across centers. Customer Service leads the City’s 311 phone service and serves constituents through its Customer Service Bureau and seven customer service centers.

 

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Krista Diaz, the Interim Deputy Division Director for Purchasing and Contracting (PC) presented to a delegation visiting Seattle from City of Detroit in early March (right). Krista and others on the PC team shared information about the City’s green, sustainable and equitable procurement efforts. Purchasing and Contracting manages contracting needs that include bids, public works and over 1200 blanket contracts for goods and services. The division also supports the City’s race and social justice initiative by expanding contracting equity for women- and minority-owned businesses and supporting labor equity on City construction projects.

 

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FAS’ Acting Department Director Kiersten Grove visited the management team of the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) in late February to learn how she can support SAS efforts. SAS promotes safety and animal welfare by enforcing animal laws, operating sheltering and adoption programs, managing a spay and neuter clinic and providing care and services for over 5,000 animals annually.

 

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Kiersten Grove also toured the Bakun Building, an over 100-year old building the City recently purchased from WSDOT. The photo to the right pictures her standing in the space with colleagues with Capital Development (CD) and Facility Management (FM). Over the next few years, CD will lead a building improvements project. The City will then provide most of the space to original stewards of the land, the Muckleshoot Tribe, to open a Tribal Interpretive Center.

 

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Whether out in the community or at a job site, Facilities and Administrative Services (FAS) teams work daily to serve the residents of Seattle. Here’s just a few of these moments of good work that took place so far this year.

WMBE Advisory Committee

FAS supports the City of Seattle’s WMBE Advisory Committee, which provides guidance to the City of Seattle regarding practices in support of equity, inclusion and participation of women‐ and minority‐owned businesses (WMBEs) in City of Seattle contracts.

On Jan. 11, the Advisory Committee met with Mayor Bruce Harrell to share their recommendations on how to better serve the WMBE community. Their recommendations can be found in the End-of-Year Report.

Accessibility Tour

FAS manages the City’s Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance program. This program ensures people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to access City services, programs and activities.

As part of this work, FAS team members Autumn Harris (in the black hat, looking down) and Holly Delcambre (in the white hat) recently accompanied Seattle Department of Transportation staff on a recent accessibility tour of downtown. They looked at curb ramps, crosswalks, construction blockage and more. FAS team members focused especially on the experience of DeafBlind community members navigating Seattle’s streets. Photo from Greg Spotts’ Twitter.

Seattle Animal Shelter

On Wednesday, February 1, SAS got a call about a fire at The Dog Resort in Seattle where approximately 100 dogs were being housed/cared for. Thanks to the Seattle Animal Shelter’s assistance and coordination 75 dogs were transferred to other boarding facilities. Several dogs were treated by SFD on scene and four were transferred to a veterinary facility for ongoing care. The rest were picked up by their owners from the scene.

Field Services Manager Don Baxter said this about the responding officers, “They were responsive, patient with the chaos, professional and compassionate. I could not have been more proud of the way they handled themselves.  They are an asset to City, FAS and the Shelter.”

More info: Dozens of dogs rescued from Seattle doggy day care fire  – Seattle Times

UW Career Fair

FAS’ Human Resources division actively reaches out in the community about great career opportunities available at FAS. Recently HR staffer John Blackmore (right) represented the City at the University of Washington National Society of Black Engineers/Diversity Career Fair on Jan. 25. He’s pictured here talking with a participant.

Interested in a career with FAS? Check out our job opportunities.

 

 

 

 

 

Calvin W. Goings, director of the City’s Department of Facilities and Administrative Services (FAS), is moving into a new role on the Olympic Peninsula after leading FAS for more than four years and serving the City for six.

Goings served under two Mayoral administrations and oversaw one of the most diverse portfolios in the City, including everything from Citywide payroll and business licensing, to management of the City’s 120-plus public facilities, 4,000-vehicle fleet, customer service centers and emergency management logistics.

“Calvin and his team have demonstrated their unwavering commitment to our vision for One Seattle by keeping our fleets and facilities safe, our doors open through winter storms, and by providing excellent customer service to City departments and the community; and so much more,” Mayor Harrell said in a note announcing Goings’ departure. “We cannot thank Calvin enough for his leadership, dedication and passion for serving the City over the past six years.”

Kiersten Grove, FAS’ Deputy Department Director, will step into the interim Department Director role. Grove has been a dedicated leader who brings to the interim role an intricate knowledge of and experience in FAS operations.

“FAS will continue its great services and unwavering commitment to our residents and I’m confident in the steady leadership and expertise Kiersten brings,” Goings said. “FAS teams demonstrate the very best of what it means to be public servants and they are capable, competent and committed to Seattle residents.” [Read more…]

After operating virtually for two years, the annual Furry 5K will return in-person on June 12 at Seward Park. The event will bring together pet owners, community members, and some of the cutest dogs in the city for a 3.1-mile run, walk or roll all in the name of animal care.

REGISTER HERE

The Furry 5K is hosted by the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF), the non-profit organization that supports the programs and initiatives of the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS). Funds in the past have gone toward everything from medical and behavioral animal care to supporting an animal pet food bank and remodeling space at the shelter to expand its capacity. Since the event was started by volunteers more than 20 years ago, the event has raised more than $1.2 million.

“We’re so pleased to reunite for the 23^rd Furry 5K and continue this rich tradition of helping animals in need,” SASF Board President Kara Main-Hester said.

Registration is now open for the event and all proceeds go to supporting animals at the City’s SAS, which is one of 16 divisions operated by the Department of Finance and Administrative Services. Every year, the shelter takes in thousands of stray and owner-surrendered animals and many are in need of a new start, lots of love and often significant vet and behavioral care.

This year’s Furry 5K is doubly special. The event falls on the 50^th anniversary of the shelter’s founding.

“Our Seattle Animal Shelter has provided 50 years of excellent service supporting our City’s pets, animals, and communities,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “There’s no better way to celebrate and build on this legacy than by joining the annual Furry 5K. I commend the shelter staff, volunteers, and everyone who’s helped make this event possible, demonstrating what it means to truly come together as One Seattle – pets and all. Here’s to a great run!” [Read more…]

The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved the City of Seattle’s request to use “Priority Hire,” requiring that the contractor repairing the West Seattle Bridge hire from local economically distressed communities as it works to reopen the bridge by mid-2022.

“Our top priority is supporting our residents and neighborhoods most affected by the bridge closure,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “Through Priority Hire, now we can support our communities in another way by providing high-quality, family-wage construction career access and direct opportunities to small businesses that have been disproportionately impacted over the past year.”

“We’re grateful to the U.S. Department of Transportation for this approval. Hiring local workers will bring direct and tangible relief to communities in West Seattle and the Duwamish Valley,” said SDOT Director Sam Zimbabwe. “Additionally, having access to federal funding will reduce the city’s financial burden as we repair the bridge and advance our economic recovery from the pandemic.”

“Our economy should work for everyone in this city, and USDOT’s approval to have Priority Hire on the West Seattle Bridge will help ensure that it does,” said Finance and Administrative Services Director Calvin W. Goings, whose department oversees the City’s Priority Hire program. “We’re also increasing awareness of and access to the jobs Priority Hire provides. Recent investments in community efforts will help residents access the opportunities provided by the project and move into family-wage jobs that are so critical to our communities.”

This week’s Priority Hire announcement creates an important opportunity for economically distressed communities affected by the West Seattle Bridge closure. The project is a relatively large and highly visible compared to other City public works projects, with many communities directly impacted by the closure, emergency work, and ongoing construction. Priority Hire is designed to offer a positive community benefit from the construction.

The City of Seattle has already secured $37.7 million in federal funding out of an estimated $54.8 million needed for the construction costs to complete the final phase of repairs to the West Seattle Bridge. SDOT continues to meet key milestones which keep the West Seattle Bridge repair process on schedule, and remains on track to reopen bridge in mid-2022. [Read more…]

 The City of Seattle will launch a new disparity study to make recommendations to remove inequities that exist in the City’s soliciting and procuring of contracts and awarding of public funds.

“The City has a responsibility to make sure that Black, Indigenous, and people of color and women-owned firms have equitable opportunities to compete for City contracts,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “Through the launch of this study to create recommendations for changes, and the creation of a new WMBE Advisory Committee, we are taking critical and necessary steps to center equity in public contracts—from how we solicit them to how we engage businesses.”

The study and recommendations will analyze the City’s past and current contracting practices, examine marketplace conditions, including how minority- and women-owned businesses fared when compared to other businesses competing for the same projects, and collect input from City departments. The study and community engagement will lead to recommendations and new actions the City can take.

Colette Holt and Associates, a national legal and consulting firm that specializes in issues related to Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs, will lead the study and was selected through a competitive bidding process led by the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS).

In addition to ongoing analysis and review, Colette Holt and Associates will be hosting public meetings to discuss the disparity study’s scope and timeline, which will include opportunities for input. Members of the public can learn more at the City’s WMBE site. Future meeting dates for community input will also be posted on the site.  [Read more…]

FAS’ Cannabis Regulatory Program came about in 2015, three years after cannabis legalization in Washington State. The City realized it needed someone to manage the implementation and integration of this new industry and Cherie MacLeod stepped into the role in 2014. Cherie maintained industry data before and after the passage of I-502 when it was legalized. The data was used to develop the City’s current program.

Cherie helped to shepherd the City’s first license and business regulations for the industry in 2015. It was in 2017 at Denver’s annual symposium for cannabis regulators that she first learned about the disparity in cannabis business ownership, as well as the historic inequities.

She brought these findings back to Seattle and the Racial Equity Toolkit Project on Cannabis Licensing began in 2018. The current project team includes FAS members as well as SDCI and OED. The project team learned about the negative impacts to the communities affected by the 1990’s War on Drugs, specifically on Seattle’s Central District.

The team analyzed cannabis violations filed with the Seattle Municipal Court and determined that certain communities in the city were disproportionately cited, the same neighborhoods targeted by the federally funded Weed and Seed program as part of the War on Drugs. [Read more…]