Program date: Sept. 25, 2026
Air date: Sept. 28, 2026
From the City Club of Eugene:
Topic:
Eugene voters will decide this November whether to establish the Eugene Clean Energy Fund, a proposed program intended to provide long-term funding for local climate action, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green infrastructure, and clean-energy workforce development.
The measure would impose a 2% license fee on the Eugene gross profits of large retailers with more than $1 billion in annual national gross profits and at least $500,000 in annual gross profits from retail sales within Eugene. Groceries, medicines, residential garbage and recycling services, and health care services would be excluded from the calculation. Revenue would be placed in a dedicated fund, with recommendations for expenditures made by a nine-member committee.
Supporters argue the measure would create a substantial, dedicated source of funding to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while expanding access to clean-energy investments and jobs. Opponents raise concerns about consumer costs, economic impacts, accountability, and whether the proposal would produce measurable emissions reductions.
City Club of Eugene will bring representatives of the supporting and opposing campaigns together to examine these competing arguments and answer questions about what the measure could mean for Eugene residents, businesses, and climate policy. The forum will be moderated by KLCC's Nathan Wilk.
Speakers:
Aya Cockram, she/her, was born and raised in Eugene and is now raising her family here. She was a teacher of six years before transitioning to the non-profit sector in 2019. Aya served as the coalition coordinator for the Fossil Free Eugene coalition, is a board member for WellMama, and currently works as the Oregon Energy Transition Organizer with the Breach Collective, a local climate and labor justice organization. Aya holds a graduate degree in Religious Studies focused on Environmental Ethics, history, and Philosophy and is a proud member of the Communication Workers of America 7901.
Timothy Herrera, PhD, is a small business owner that is dedicated to community advocacy, equity, and environmental justice. As Founder and Managing Director of the Center of Community Engagement, Neighborhood Advocacy & Research (CCENAR), Timothy provides professional consulting services to non-profits, municipal departments, and higher education institutions.
As a cultural anthropologist, former University of Oregon faculty member, and bilingual Spanish, Timothy brings over a decade of local experience in community-based research. He has demonstrated commitment to community engagement through roles with the Oregon Folklife Network, Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad, the City of Eugene, Oregon Food Bank, and the Center for Latino/Latina and Latin American Studies (CLLAS). His commitment towards sustainability includes working with a non-profit to achieve BRING’s Rethink Business Certification.
Laura Sedwick is a Eugene-area native, mom of three, and longtime community member who has built both her career and her family here.
Professionally, Laura has spent more than two decades helping organizations manage complex projects, navigate change, and bring people together around shared goals. Her experience spans the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, including work with local government, political campaigns, community advocacy, and a local nonprofit organization. Today, she works in technology project management, helping large organizations successfully implement new systems and improve how their teams work together.
Biographies are provided by the speaker and edited for length/proofreading by City Club of Eugene.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.