City staff told the Liberty Lake Community Engagement Commission on Nov. 19 that the city will run several holiday activities and is seeking publicity and volunteers from commissioners.

David, a city staff member, said the city is promoting two contests: Battle of the Branches, where teams decorate city-supplied trees, and Deck the Homes, a judged contest for decorated private residences. He said each contest carries a $200 first-place cash prize provided by local sponsors and that registration closes this Friday at 5 p.m. David also said winning entries will be judged on set dates in December.

On volunteer support, staff invited commissioners to assist with the Light Up Liberty Lake kickoff described during the meeting as occurring “right after Thanksgiving.” Staff said some children’s activity stations will be self-guided, but asked commissioners to let staff know if they can help and offered coordination through Mikhail.

David also asked commissioners to help distribute a short, three-question follow-up park survey (phase two) produced by SCJ Consulting when it posts to the city website and Facebook. He said the survey is intended to narrow findings from a longer summer survey and asked commissioners to share it with neighbors.

Commissioners responded with practical questions about how volunteer groups and outside organizations will be handled (for example, whether outside groups must complete background checks when partnering on city events). One staff response noted volunteers appointed through the city must pass a background check and that the cost is about $40.

Next steps: staff will post the registration links and the park survey; commissioners asked staff to circulate materials so they can support local outreach.