Most King County staff will be on unpaid leave and most county buildings will be closed Thursday as the county takes the last of 10 furlough days in 2009 to cut operational costs countywide.

All department employees, with limited exceptions, such as those in public-safety functions, are included in the furlough plan.

County offices will also be closed Friday for the Christmas holiday.

On furlough days, most King County buildings and services will be closed except the following, which will be open and operating:

• Metro bus service will operate a reduced weekday service on Thursday, and Sunday service Friday. There will also be reduced service Dec. 26-Jan. 1 (can still use hotlink)

• Youth Service Center

• King County Courthouse

• King County Regional Communications and Emergency Service Center (911)

• Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center

• District Courts will be open in all locations

• 2nd floor of the North District Multi-Service Center

• Health Point portion of the Federal Way Public Health Facility

• 1st floor of Yesler Building (half day)

• Goat Hill Garage will have normal operations

• Office of the Public Defender (OPD) offices are open at the Maleng Regional Justice Center; Juvenile Court, 1211 E. Alder St., Third Floor, Seattle; and the Walthew Building, 123 Third Ave., Fourth Floor, Seattle for eligibility screening and assignment of counsel for Superior Court and Juvenile Court cases. Other Office of Public Defender offices are closed

• Rainier Park Clinic (NeighborCare Health) co-located at the Columbia Public Health Center will be open

If a building or office is not on the list above, it will be closed.

Signs about the closure will be posted in advance in public buildings, including signage in multiple languages. Information will also be posted on the county’s Web site. Unless otherwise specified, furloughed employees will not be responding to e-mail or voice mail on furlough days.

The selected furlough days are next to existing holidays or weekends and were strategically chosen to limit impacts on residents who depend on King County services. The chosen days tend to have the fewest phone calls and requests for service.

Metro bus Sunday schedules will be used on the following holidays:

• Friday, Dec. 25 – Christmas

• Friday, Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day

The reduced weekday Metro bus schedule will be in effect on:

• Thursday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve

• Monday-Thursday, Dec. 28-31 – winter holiday period

• Monday, Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day