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.
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
Our May 16th, 2024 General Meeting was a Community Conversation at Hilyard Community Center focused on Wildfire Response. The conversation was focused on the following questions:
• What agencies provide what response if Eugene South Hills catches fire this summer? • What evacuation routes are designated? • Where have fire breaks in the south hills been created? • What is involved in maintaining them? • What other mitigation work has been done? • What can a homeowner do to minimize risk?
The video of the entire meeting can be found on Youtube here.
Explaining each agency’s role are panelists from
Eugene Springfield Fire
Oregon Department of Forestry
Eugene Parks and Open Spaces
City of Eugene
Northwest Youth Corps
A big thank you to John Q of Whole Community News for making the video available.
The SHiNA Board wants to acknowledge and thank Ian Appow of ECO Solutions for organizing this event. And last but not least, the well-prepared panelists, experts and leaders of their agencies.
A Community Conversation about Reducing Wildfire Risk and the SW Hills of Eugene
SHiNA General Membership Meeting Wednesday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the Community
Hilyard Community Center 2580 Hilyard Street, Eugene
Please join us for the second in our series of Community Conversations on Emergency Preparedness on the topic of wildfire relative to the South Hills Neighborhood Association. A major part of being prepared is learning about what steps we as a community can take to reduce the opportunities for wildfires to start and spread. This meeting will feature representatives from local agencies speaking from each of their unique perspectives within their roles and organizations to provide insight on better adapting to the risk of wildfire in the South Hills area of Eugene. Handouts available.
Presented/Facilitated by Ian Appow, ECO System Solutions
Panelist from Eugene Springfield Fire, Oregon Department of Forestry,Eugene Parks and Open Spaces, City of Eugene, Northwest Youth Corps
Tuesday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard Street, Eugene
What are public agencies doing to protect the South Hills?
What route will I take to escape a wildfire?
In case of wildfire, what are the priorities of the fire department?
In the vulnerable South Hills, these and other questions need to be considered. Recently, the community of Lahaina was forced to evacuate when a devastating wildfire destroyed that town. It is our responsibility to be informed and prepared for appropriate action.
Please join us for a community discussion on emergency response. Panelists from various agencies will explain their role.There will be time for questions. To send questions for the panelists in advance, use this google form.
Panelists:
Matt Keating, our Eugene City Councilor
Sierra Anderson, City of Eugene Emergency Management Program Manager
Cary Lieberman, Executive Director at Greenhill Humane Society (and working on disaster safety for animals in Lane County), Lane County Community Organizations that Aid in Disaster (COAD)
Janina Rager, Eugene Police Department Community Engagement
SHiNA General Membership Meeting Tuesday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the Community Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard Street, Eugene
Topics for future meetings will focus on other aspects of emergency preparedness: fire mitigation, role of Red Cross, FEMA, defensible space, etc.
The Oregon Department of Forestry want neighbors to know that even though we had a wet spring, it is dry out now and with the heatand wind we are experiencing fires.
People should be careful with any kind of ignition source, even lawn mowing.
When the fire danger is ‘High’ mowing dry grass is NOT allowed between the hours of 10 am and 8 pm on ODF protected lands.
However, the time you are allowed to mow, run chainsaws, and a few other things fluctuates with the fire danger.
Attached is a document that does a great job of explaining 2017 DFPA Public Use Restrictions.
SHiNA 