Press Democrat journalists barred from new managed homeless camp in Santa Rosa

Two Press Democrat journalists were barred from Sonoma County’s new homeless camp Thursday morning after county officials revoked access for them to cover the county’s latest multimillion dollar bid to address its homelessness crisis.

Thursday marked the second full day of operation for the county’s first sanctioned homeless camp, which will house 70 to 100 individuals on public property at the county’s north Santa Rosa campus.

The county’s health services director, Tina Rivera, cited unspecified complaints from site managers and tenants about the media’s presence.

Press Democrat journalists had been allowed access to the site on Wednesday. On Thursday, county officials cited no specific legal grounds for barring the journalists from public property other than vague references to privacy concerns and complaints about the journalists’ presence Wednesday.

Press Democrat Executive Editor Richard A. Green said the county’s actions not only infringed on First Amendment rights but were also a breach of the county’s duty to be transparent to its taxpayers.

“For years, Sonoma County officials have struggled, if not outright failed, to address the public health and safety issues related to the series of camps on the Rodota Trail,” Green said. “And now, they’re telling city residents and taxpayers, ‘Trust us. We’ll get it right this time,’ with a significant taxpayer-funded effort on public land.

“Doing the public’s business far from the scrutiny of journalists and residents is not good government. It’s outrageous. It’s offensive. And we believe there is no legal standing for it. Government works best in the transparent light of day with full access, not by limiting journalists to the perimeter of security fences. County officials must remember they work for the taxpayers of Sonoma County.”

Thomas Burke, a media law attorney who represents The Press Democrat and other media organizations, said there is no legal basis for the county’s actions.

“Sonoma County cannot, overnight, unilaterally and without notice, convert public property into a private space to prevent the media from carrying out its role to observe this homeless camp,” Burke said.

Rivera did not return calls by 6 p.m. Thursday seeking clarification on the county’s stance. County Counsel Robert Pittman also did not respond to requests for comment.

The Board of Supervisors approved the camp’s creation in February when it declared a shelter crisis on the Joe Rodota Trail, and equipped the camp with a $3 million budget.

The move marked a significant step for the county which has grappled with keeping the trail clear and providing sufficient shelter for unhoused individuals.

Thursday’s scheduled visit had been agreed upon Wednesday, during a supervised tour of the new camp by The Press Democrat with Dave Kiff, the county’s homelessness director and two employees from the county’s communications department.

But, upon entering the camp Thursday, security and a private contractor employee informed the two journalists they could not be there and escorted them to the front entrance to check in with security.

At security, a woman who identified herself as Michelle Patino, co-owner of DEMA Consulting and Management, which the county is paying $1.5 million to manage the site, said the journalists could not be inside the camp because of HIPAA and privacy concerns.

HIPAA is a federal law that protects patients’ sensitive medical information — the journalists were not asking residents for their medical information, only about their experience on the trail and in the camp.

Supervisor James Gore said he visited the camp Thursday around 9:30 a.m. Gore said he did not take a tour but spoke to residents as they entered the site.

Patino said if she had been at the site Wednesday she would not have allowed the reporter and photographer inside.

The journalists were then told to stand outside the camp’s perimeter fence and talk to residents there.

The decision to bar journalists from the site came from Rivera, director of Health Services, according to Paul Gullixson, the county’s communications manager.

In a media advisory released at 3:30 p.m., Rivera referenced unspecified “concerns raised by service providers and tenants” about the journalists’ presence and said “no supervised media visits will be allowed inside the shelter area for the time being.”

During their supervised visit Wednesday, the journalists spoke with one resident who agreed to an interview and photographs. They did not interact with any other residents.

“We are still in the process of relocating individuals to this sanctioned emergency shelter, and we are concerned that the presence of media could be a deterrent in the successful transition of these individuals,” Rivera said in the statement.

You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.