Councillor Irvine reminded the community the importance of volunteering. She listed organizations in the community currently looking for volunteers:
- Winfield Memorial Hall
- Lake Country Food Bank
- Oyama Hall
- Okanagan Regional Library
Councillor McKenzie echoed comments regarding volunteering. He attended the Open House and Oyama Community Hall, and suggested all Community Halls hold Open Houses.
Councillor Brett appreciated the call out for volunteers from Councillor Irvine. She thanked the community for their attendance at the Budget Open House meetings, and encouraged community members to engage to become informed.
Councillor Patel echoed comments for volunteers and noted potential for connections to be made and skills to be learned while doing so.
Councillor Reed encouraged community members with questions about the budget to view item 8.1 Fourth Quarter Statistics. She conveyed the great amount of detail captured efficiently, and suggested it is a great tool to have along side for budget review. Councillor Reed reported the directors of the Carr's Landing Community Association met this week to begin preparation of a new recreation needs assessment. She noted that the last recreation needs assessment was completed in 2018 and many of the priorities from 2018 have been delivered. With an update to the Official Community Plan in the works, she encouraged all members of the community to be involved.
Councillor Lewis echoed comments from around the table. He enjoyed Alan Gatzke's presentation on Oyama History at the Oyama Community Club Sunday Social. He encouraged community members to attend the Budget Open House on Thursday at Municipal Hall.
Mayor Ireland noted the importance of joining and volunteering local organizations. He announced he was re-elected at the Chair for the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), and advised OBWB has been the leading organization for the fight against invasive mussels in British Columbia. Mayor Ireland called for other organizations to step up and help in the fight against invasive mussels. He hopes everyone says warm and heathy in this colder weather and is looking forward to Spring.