Next SHiNA Neighborhood Meeting – 10/21, 6:30 PM at Wayne Morse Family Farm
This program is rescheduled from our August general meeting. Jeannine Parisi is the Resiliency Program Manager for EWEB. She will provide a general EWEB overview and describe resiliency and wildfire mitigation work especially with regard to power shutdowns and unexpected power outages due to weather events (ice storms).
Most of us remember the Holiday Farm Fire of 2020 where fire erupted quickly and spread westward from the Blue River area through Ben and Kay Dorris Park. How has this experience affected EWEB’s response to wildfire and preparation in case this type of event occurs again? What procedures does EWEB have in place? What is their role?
Join us at the Wayne Morse Family Farm Living Room on Tuesday, October 21, 6:30 p.m. 595 Crest Drive, Eugene
The Eugene Chamber of Commerce is hosting their September Policy Forum Breakfast on the Oregon Approach to Wildfire – an important topic for our neighborhood which lies at the urban-wildland interface. The forum is this week – on Thursday, October 2nd, from 7:00–9:30 AM – at the Eugene Country Club.
This forum will offer a rare opportunity to better understand not only how Oregon fights wildfires, but why the stakes keep rising—and what can be done to change the outcome. It will provide business and community leaders with an informed perspective on how Oregon is safeguarding its forests, deploying resources effectively, and building fire-resilient communities.
We think SHiNA Neighbors interested in learning more about Oregon’s Wildfire Policy will gain a lot from attending this forum! You can find out more about the event and register here.
Tuesday, September 16, 6:00 PM Wayne Morse Family Farm Picnic Shelter 595 Crest Drive, Eugene
NOTE: Our start time for this meeting needs to be earlier than we normally meet to accomodate Mayor Knutson’s schedule.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet our mayor! There will be time to ask her your questions. Spread the word, due to city budget limitations, we are only able to reach neighbors who have provided us with their email address.
October meeting reminder: Tuesday, October 21, 6:30 Community Conversation with representatives from EWEB.
Join us at the next SHiNA Neighborhood monthly meeting on August 19th to hear from Jeannine Parisi, the Resiliency Program Manager for Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB). She will provide a general overview of EWEB and dive into Resiliency and Wildfire Mitigation work especially with regard to power shutdowns and unexpected power outages due to weather events (ice storms). Get a primer on this work by reading this article that EWEB published in 2024.
John Barofsky, our EWEB commissioner has also been invited but we are waiting to hear back about his availability.
SHINA Community Conversation – EWEB Natural Hazard Mitigation August 19, 2025 at 6:30 PM Wayne Morse Family Farm Shelter – 595 Crest Drive
The City of Eugene’s 2025 Community Survey is now available online. This survey provides an opportunity for neighbors to weigh in on big issues for the City and contribute to the City’s strategic planning. We encourage our SHiNA Neighbors to participate in the online survey here: https://engage.eugene-or.gov/community-survey
More information from the City below:
The last survey, conducted in 2022, helped guide the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan by providing City leaders with key insights into what matters most to community members. The results from the 2025 survey will help us assess how well we’re doing in achieving those strategic goals and begin paving the way for future strategic planning.
Why should you participate? While the City frequently gathers input about specific programs or services, the community survey is unique. It’s an opportunity to share your overall experience living in Eugene and provide input on big-picture issues that affect us all. Whether it’s about city services, quality of life, or long-term goals, this survey asks you to share your thoughts on the larger issues that shape Eugene’s future.
Curious about what the City learned from the last survey? You can find a full report on the 2022 Community Survey and dive into the results at the City’s Community Survey Website.
It’s not just about gathering input—it’s also about taking action. The City is committed to following through on the goals laid out in the Strategic Plan. Each year, the City publishes an Annual Report to track progress toward these goals and some goals rely on survey responses to determine progress. To learn more about these efforts, check out the Strategic Plan and the Year One Annual Report.
Join City Councilor Matt Keating (Ward 2) for a discussion about the City Budget & other issues
The City of Eugene solved the budget shortfall for 2025. Neighborhood Associations, Amazon pool, the library and more will be funded through the next year. Our city counselor, Matt Keating, will come to answers questions about the budget crisis or other questions neighbors have. Please come for this chance to chat informally with our city counselor.
Tuesday, June 17, 6:30 p.m. Wayne Morse Family Farm 595 Crest Drive, Eugene
If you are unable to attend in person and would like to view the meeting online, click on this link: https://tinyurl.com/3v2dmav8 or this QR code.
SHINA Plastic Party Shreds Eugene Neighborhood Record — 68 large bags, 611 Pounds
On May 11th, SHiNA Board members partnered with Master Recycler Tim Whitley to host a recycling round up. Our neighbors did not disappoint, bringing the most ever recycling content to a Eugene Neighborhood recycling event. Thanks to all who participated. We will likely make this an annual event.
SHiNA Board Chair Chris Jockheck welcomes neighbors & introduces panelists at the 4/15 neighborhood meeting
On Tuesday, April 15th, about 40 neighbors gathered on a beautiful spring evening in the Pavilion at Wayne Morse Family Farm (and on zoom) to hear from four speakers about the proposed Eugene Fire Services Fee and the related referendum that halted its implementation. Some SHiNA Board members commented on the discouraging irony of gathering in a beautiful, publicly funded parks facility while learning about potentially devastating budget cuts that our city faces to parks, public safety, and other valued services.
The speakers – City Councilors Matt Keating (Ward 2) and Eliza Kashinsky (Ward 1), Chamber of Commerce President Brittney Quick-Warner, and Eugene Budget Committee Chair Tai Pruce-Zimmerman – discussed the process and facts that led to the proposal of a Fire Services Fee in early 2025 as a method of responding to budget shortfalls as well as their perspectives on the fee itself. The fee was the subject of a recent referendum by voters which now requires it to go to a ballot if City Council wishes to implement the fee. Currently, City Council is discussing other ways to gain revenue in order to avoid an $11M cut in this budget. The City’s budget website is located here: https://www.eugene-or.gov/106/Budget
At the meeting, we learned that the City of Eugene has struggled over many years to keep up with rising costs associated with city services while increases to property taxes have been limited by Measures 5 and 50 since the early 1990s. You can view a very informative presentation by the City’s Senior Financial Analyst Mauricio Bottalico about the impacts of Measures 5 and 50 here on our community’s tax structure from the February 12, 2025 Budget Committee meeting, here.
Many neighbors had questions and comments including neighbors who run organizations and services that will be impacted by City budget cuts if the Fire Services Fee does not move forward. The SHiNA board recorded the zoom meeting, which can be view in a series of three videos on the SHiNA Youtube channel, here.
It was an interactive, informative, and meaningful event during which we heard from our fellow community members who are coping in different ways with upcoming budget shortfalls in the City. We also got to catch up with neighbors and our City Councilors over delicious cookies and tea provided by the SHiNA Board.
The SHiNA Board encourages every SHiNA neighborhood member to stay engaged in the City’s Budget process so that you are aware of the impacts of these budget issues and the potential revenue sources that City Council may consider to bridge the funding gap. Comment on this post with your own questions to our neighborhood board – and thanks to everyone who attended the meeting.
SHiNA will hold a community conversation with City Councilor Matt Keating, Budget Committee Chair Tai Pruce-Zimmerman & Chamber of Commerce President Brittany Quick-Warner who will explain the issue. The Fire Fee Referendum may be on the ballot for a special election in August. Come and find out what this means for the community. Q & A to follow.
TUESDAY, APRIL 15 at 6:30 PM Wayne Morse Family Farm 595 Crest Drive, Eugene in the Shelter (weather permitting) OR ZOOM: https://tinyurl.com/3hya8xpc
SHiNA 