From the Club Secretary WDC Tuesday March 17, 2026 meeting notes below:
1. John Alden, director of IOLERO, spoke about the Sonoma County Sheriff’s on-going refusal to cooperate with the civilian police oversight board’s review of police-involved deaths, in jail, as the result of automobile accidents or in shootings
These investigations, which serve to increase transparency and accountability, are vital to establish public trust in law enforcement.
Elected sheriffs are actually less influenced by public pressure than appointed city police chiefs, Alden noted. A police chief can be fired. An elected sheriff only has to worry about winning an election every four years. Sonoma County’s Sheriff won’t be up for re-election until 2028.
IOLERO was established in 2015 in response the shooting death of thirteen-year-old Andy Lopez in 2013. In 2020, Sonoma County voters approved Measure P, which expanded IOLERO’s power to investigate police-related deaths as well as shielding its director from arbitrary dismissal, by a nearly two-thirds vote.
The Sonoma County Sheriff has resisted voter mandates by refusing to direct officers to answer IOLERO investigator’s questions. Measure P gave IOLERO the power to subpoena sheriff deputies in investigating deaths. If the deputy being questioned thinks they have committed a crime, they can assert Fifth Amendment rights. Then, the Sheriff is supposed to direct them to waive their Fifth Amendment rights, following a 1967 Supreme Court ruling that testimony given in an administrative hearing cannot be used in a criminal case. Sheriff Eddie Engram has refused to do this.
Sonoma County is the only Sheriff’s Office in the state where deputies are allowed not to cooperate with an independent investigation. Former Sheriff Mark Essick and the Sheriff’s Union opposed Measure P when it was put to a vote, and the current Sheriff has made clear he will continue to block the people’s mandate.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors could tell Sheriff Engram they do not approve of his stonewalling. More directly, IOLERO has sued the Sheriff’s Department to comply with subpoenas. Supervisors could cut off funds for the Sheriff’s office to defend against these suits. So far, they have not done so.
There are two open seats for Sonoma County supervisor. One is District 4, representing Windsor. Of the three candidates running, Melanie Bagby, the only Democrat, is most likely to be helpful. Credibility of local law enforcement is dropping because of Sonoma County Sheriff Office’s continued cooperation with ICE, Alden added. Whatever it was in the past, ICE has become a danger to the community. Currently, the Sheriff’s Department shares fingerprints and other data with the FBI to match against a federal immigration database under SCAP (Secure Communities), although in a more limited manner than in the past. ICE may use this information to issue I-247 immigration detainers to arrest detainees when they are released from jail.
In January, Supervisor Chris Coursey went on record as saying that Sonoma County should stop all cooperation with ICE. To date, none of the other supervisors have supported him. Many counties in California no longer participate in SCAP, including Marin, San Mateo, Napa, San Francisco, and LA, with Alameda pulling out recently. Sonoma County might pull out of the program depending upon input at the next budget hearings. Again, the Board of Supervisors’ response will be shaped by election results in campaigns for open seats in Supervisorial Districts 2 and 4.
2. Jodi Johnson, Golden State Manufactured Home Owners League Vice President for District 1-A (coastal Northern California, Marin to Del Norte) spoke about her and her organization’s fight against predatory rent increases and other coercive practices by park owners in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and Evergreen Mobile Estates in Windsor. So far, we’re winning, Johnson said. Support from Dems clubs has been crucial in our fight.
Residents of mobile home parks own their homes but have to pay rent on the land they sit on. “Mobile home” is a misnomer. Once the units are in place they are difficult to impossible to move, which makes residents vulnerable to arbitrary rent increases unless protected by rent control, and other forms of harassment, Petaluma park-owners banned residents from installing air conditioners for example.
In the past few years, large investment companies, including Harmony Communities, which owns Evergreen Estates in Windsor and, Three Pillars Community, which owns the Youngstown Senior Mobile Home Park where Johnson lives, have been buying up hundreds of mobile home parks from small “mom and pop” owners who are aging or just want to cash out. Investment companies call mobile parks “cash cows.”
Shortly after Johnson moved into Youngstown in Petaluma after a stroke (she thought temporarily), Three Pillars Communities attempted to impose a $1000 a month rent increase. When this was denied in arbitration, the owners attempted to convert Youngstown into an all-ages park, then threatened to close it altogether if they did not get their way.
Johnson knew she had to fight back. She started a campaign of fund-raising and lobbying gaining support from elected officials including State Assembly Representative Damon Connolly, President Pro Tem of the California State Senate, Mike McGuire, as well as Santa Rosa City Councilmember Chris Coursey. So far, she has been successful in preventing rent increases, park conversions, and evictions, despite pressure, including lawsuits openly intended to drain city funds to force a settlement in favor of park owners.
Jodi Johnson introduced Lori who has lived in Evergreen Mobile Estates in Windsor for thirty-five years. Her husband is on hospice. He has dementia and recently suffered a stroke. He is home-bound; they have no children. We’re going through some tough times, she said. “I’m stretched pretty thin.” Last year, Harmony wrote residents a letter threatening them with eviction if they did not accept a $650 a month rent increase. For Lori and her husband that meant 165% over what they were currently paying.
Harmony Communities owns multiple mobile home parks in the country, almost one hundred, according to a Mobile Home Owners’ Advocacy Organization’s list. They are notorious for imposing exorbitant rent increases, threatening to evict residents, and other strong-arm forms retaliation if they do not get their way. They have sued a number of cities across California that have blocked rent increases, often forcing settlements in the company’s favor. In addition to Evergreen in Windsor, Harmony locally owns Capri and Little Woods in Petaluma, Carriage Court in Santa Rosa and Countryside in Cotati, as well as parks in Napa, Mendocino and Lake Counties.
Most of the residents in Evergreen are Spanish-speaking, Johnson said. They signed the rent-increase agreement, not wanting to rock the boat. Johnson went door to door to explain why the coerced agreement was not legal. In July, the Windsor Town Council passed a 45-day moratorium on mobile home park rent increases and closures in Windsor. In November, the Council unanimously voted to extend the moratorium for another ten months. Some twenty park residents, carrying signs “Derecho de Techo” (Right to a roof), attended the meeting and testified. The following week, Harmony sued both Windsor and Petaluma, In December, Harmony Communities rent increase was denied following arbitration.
What is the companies’ endgame? Dan Schmitt asked. Do they want to sell the land to develop it in some other way? You’d think but no, Johnson replied. Rent stabilization ordinances only allow rent increases when the unit is sold or replaced. The endgame is to force out the current tenants and get new people to sign long-term leases, which are also illegal, Johnson noted, for $2500 or more. Young families, who cannot afford any other type of homes, might be desperate enough to take the deal. The park owners are making a profit, Johnson emphasized, even under rent control. Ron Taylor suggested that the goal was not just to make a profit but to create massive growth to attract investors.
It’s been a tough fight, Johnson concluded. She’s been accosted, and followed, even had ICE called on her. We’re winning so far, thanks to you.
Rosa Reynoza spoke in support of women’s history month. Women are amazing. Keep it up!!!
The club voted to amend the club charter to add Communications Chair, and Outreach and Membership chair. The proposed changes were accepted.
Bill Steck, Sonoma Democrat of the Year, passed out a flyer for an art contest for people age 12-25 celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence sponsored by the Sonoma County Democratic Party.
Ron Taylor, Sonoma Democratic Party Director of Voter Registration, answered questions about voter registration and canvassing.
The first No Kings March of 2026 will be held on Saturday, March 28. The march in Santa Rosa will convene at Julliard Park and Santa Rosa Junior College at 3pm for a march to Old Courthouse Square. Other marches and rallies in Sonoma County are scheduled for Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Windsor, Petaluma, Cotati, Sonoma Valley, Sebastopol, Graton, Guerneville, Bodega Bay, Timber Cove, and Jenner. See Indivisible Sonoma calendar for details.
The Windsor Democratic Club’s next meeting will be Tuesday, April 21, 6:30-8:30pm, Windsor Round Table Pizza. David Schmidt of Clean Money Campaign will speak. Deva Proto, Sonoma County Registrar of Voters, has been invited to speak about Trump’s SAVE Act.
