Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice
Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice and Roseburg Homeless Commissioner Ben Tatone want the Roseburg City Council to open an emergency urban homeless camp in Roseburg’s Southgate neighborhood, at the old Reddway depot at 1899 SE Stephens St.
Concerned citizens are encouraged to attend the public meeting of the Roseburg City Council at 7:00 pm, Monday, March 23, 2026, at City Hall 900 SE Douglas Avenue in Roseburg.
The city claims that it has allocated funds to purchase the $675,000 property.
But the proposed camp, between SE Stephens St. and the South Umpqua River, next-door Little Explorers Childcare, Southgate Market & Deli, American Family Insurance, U-Haul Storage of Umpqua Valley, and The Tack Room & Horse Blanket Services. And the owners of these businesses are staunchly against an urban homeless camp moving in next door.
More than 120 angry Southgate neighbors packed the Roseburg City Council’s September 22, 2025, meeting, unanimously and vehemently opposing a homeless camp in their backyard and delivering a petition containing more than 200 signatures.
Southgate is an affordable and working-class neighborhood where young couples can buy a first home and raise kids. But residents there feel that they are Chris Boice’s sacrificial lamb. This appears to be a coordinated scheme by the political elites of Roseburg to displace residents in Southgate.
Chris Boice currently serves as liaison to the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council, Housing Authority, Juvenile Department, and Parole and Probation. In this way, Boice calls the shots regarding criminal justice policy, housing programs, behavioral health coordination, workforce and economic boards, land and parks management—directly shaping Roseburg’s homeless policy.
Almost everyone agrees that homelessness is a serious issue in Roseburg. But many say Oregon SB 1145 is the real problem.
This 1995 legislation gives millions of dollars to counties that provide early release (instead of incarceration) for certain individuals, and assists them in obtaining low-income housing.
But Boice categorically ignores the part about low-income housing.
Instead, he uses SB 1145 as a source of revenue for the county, and as a revolving door whereby houseless individuals are arrested and released days later, without any prospect of finding low-income housing, let alone employment or healthcare. This circular pattern of arrest, release, and rearrest, shifts offenders into so-called “local supervision” instead of prison.
Although the SB 1145 funding is supposed to be used to supervise the houseless population and reduce recidivism, in reality, under Boice’s leadership, houseless individuals are subjected to the same abusive culture and victimization prevalent in jail and penitentiaries with no efforts toward rehabilitation.
This creates an ongoing and costly cycle, increasing rather than reducing homelessness, and destroying neighborhoods, and city parks, as well as the North and South Umpqua Rivers, which are used as sewers by the houseless population.
Under Boice’s tenure, homelessness in Roseburg has only gotten worse.
Perhaps this is to be expected from a former Big O Tires grease monkey from California, with nothing more than a high school education.
But Boice, who spent $2 million on property, and bought an aircraft and a Ferrari, just one year after declaring bankruptcy, may well be one IRS audit away from a felony conviction.
At Boice’s apparent behest, local real estate broker and developer Ben Tatone was appointed to the City of Roseburg’s Homeless Commission in April 2025.
Tatone, who lives in a $1,100,000 home on Pegasus Lane in Roseburg is a principal in Tabor Building. He appears to be the person most likely to profit from an emergency homeless camp in Southgate. But he may well be violating ORS 244.040, which states that “a public official may not use or attempt to use official position or office to obtain financial gain.”
Many feel Tatone has a clear conflict of interests.
He wants to get the homeless out of the neighborhood where he works and into the Southgate neighborhood where he apparently intends to drive down property values so he can buy up all the houses for dimes on the dollar for urban renewal.
The close proximity of the Deer Creek Park Homeless Camp has negatively affected property values in the Laurelwood neighborhood across the river.
Ben Tatone is currently listing a six-bedroom, four-bathroom single family dwelling at 984 SE Cedar St. for $499,900. Although his advertisement includes a photo of what is presumably the house for sale, when we went to the address we found a bare cement pad with no house on it.
Ben Tatone’s wheelhouse is building housing developments. Limited by Roseburg’s Urban Growth Boundary Expansion (UGB), County Commissioners Chris Boice and Tim Freeman marshalled their proteges, Oregon Senator “Bejing” Brock Smith and State Rep. Virgle Osborne to sponsor HB 3921.
This bill expanded the UGB, enabling the City of Roseburg to swap 290 “unbuildable” acres of land for 220 acres of prime development property for Ben Tatone to build his Charter Oaks Expansion development between Roseburg’s upscale Hucrest neighborhood and the South Umpqua River.
Tatone apparently plans an urban renewal development of the Southgate neighborhood.
The existing roads and drainage in Southgate have been neglected for decades. It is as if the city intentionally allowed the neighborhood to decay.
But now the city is installing new high-capacity infrastructure, water mains, and resurfaced roads. However, these improvements do not serve the current residents of Southgate, rather they service the hundreds of new residential properties in Ben Tatone’s intended urban renewal development.
But first, Tatone has to drive down the value of the local real estate.
And nothing drives down property values faster than concentrating the burgeoning Roseburg houseless population in an emergency homeless camp in the homeowner’s back yard.
In 2023, before Tatone bought the building, Southgate neighbors petitioned the Roseburg City Council to tear down the dilapidated house at 1903 SE Main, because of the chronic problem of houseless squatters and the health hazard and danger of their activities.
In May 2025, one month after Tatone was appointed to the Roseburg Homeless Commission, HB 3921 passed, and Tatone purchased the condemned residential property at 1903 SE Main Street, 300 feet away from the proposed homeless camp at 1899 SE Stephens.
Tatone apparently arranged for his associates to acquire properties in Southgate in their own names so it wouldn’t be obvious that he intended to buy up the entire neighborhood, as he has already done with some 20 properties in the College Ave. area near the Deer Creek Park homeless camp.
Ann Schartz, one of Tatone’s employees, owns two adjacent and unimproved lots on SE Giles Street, just four blocks from the old Reddway depot.
Tatone apparently had his attorney Derek Simmons buy the house at 1225 SE Booth Ave., 300 feet from the Reddway depot and Tatone’s Tabor Building has pulled building permits for new construction.
Even Roseburg Mayor Larry Rich appears to be in on the deal, owning no fewer than three properties on Main and Giles Streets, a few blocks from the Reddway depot.
One wonders how many of Tatone’s associates have acquired properties in this neighborhood, under names other than Ben Tatone? (Conveniently, the Parrot House, 300 feet from the old Reddway depot, suddenly closed in December.)
Most of the players have second homes in the exclusive country club surrounding Tenmile Lake in Coos County, including County Commissioners Tom Kress and Chris Boice, Roseburg Mayor Larry Rich, Roseburg City Prosecutor James Forrester, and News-Review publisher Patrick Markham.
When the Roseburg City Council approves Boice and Tatone’s emergency urban homeless camp in Southgate, it will become a “public project,” eligible for emergency grants for site leveling, utilities, drainage, electricity, and sewer.
And once these improvements have been installed on the taxpayer’s nickel, the city will let the “public project” fail due to unforeseen issues—like organized push back from the neighbors of flooding— and the property can be sold to Ben Tatone for a fraction of its value, but with improvements intact and already paid for.
The old Reddway depot at 1899 SE Stephens St. has well documented legacy problems. It’s literally a stone’s throw from the South Umpqua River and spitting distance from Parrot Creek, and at such a low elevation, it has historically been subject to extreme and frequent flooding.
This makes it a perfect choice of sites for Tatone’s infrastructure flip—his urban renewal value capture maneuver using public land.
Ther Roseburg’s Deer Creek Park Homeless Camp is directly across the South Umpqua River is the Laurelwood residential neighborhood, where there are many single-family homes on large, expansive lots that Ben Tatone would love to subdivide and build several houses on properties where only one house stands today.
Tatone, who wants to get the houseless population out of the Laurelwood neighborhood, hatched a plan for an urban homeless camp in Southgate, at the abandoned Reddway freight depot at 1899 SE Stephens Street in Southgate.
The Roseburg City Council created the homeless commission in 2021, during the COVID pandemic. At their September 26, 2022, meeting, several Laurelwood neighbors said they were “increasingly concerned” about the “illegal camping and attendant environment and infrastructure damage, drug use, and criminal behavior” by houseless people.
They lodged countless complaints with the Roseburg police department, stating that they were “continually exposed to fighting, yelling, swearing, unrestrained and loud dogs, visible drug use, drunkenness, nudity, public urination and defecation, fires (including trash burning), excessive trash buildup, water pollution, intimidating threats, trespass, and attempts at physical harm.”
They said that they had “been subject to harassment, assault, and the reckless use of firearms. Reservoir Hill has burned many times, threatening neighborhoods to the north and Roseburg’s domestic water supply. Several of these fires have been started by illegal campfires or arson connected with unlawful use of occupation of the city park.”
One neighbor stated, “during the spring, summer, and autumn months, it has become impossible to go outside of our homes without experiencing this behavior.” Another cited a laundry list of City of Roseburg ordinances that were regularly violated in the Laurelwood neighborhood:
• 6.02.020, dog license required
• 6.02.030 dog leash law
• 6.02.035 dog waste matter
• 6.02.040 dog nuisances
• 7.02.030 public drinking
• 7.02.050 public urination
• 7.02.080 discharge of firearms
• 7.02.100 prohibited camping
• 7.04.120 failure to connect to public sewer system
• 163.195 recklessly endangering another person
• 163.465 public indecency
• 164.775 littering in or near waters
• 166.025 disorderly conduct
• 166.065 harassment.
Volunteers who made weekly trips to collect garbage from Deer Creek Park repeatedly found hypodermic needles, narcotics, broken bottles, human feces, and festering garbage heaps creating a toxic biohazard.
Like the Laurelwood residents, Southgate neighbors filed dozens of complaints about the health and safety hazards caused by houseless squatters. At first, Roseburg Compliance Officer Dennis Randolph was helpful until he retired in 2023. Ever since, the City or Roseburg has remained less and less responsive until they stopped completely, even after a Southgate neighbor sent them photos of a known felon with a visible firearm.
It’s as if Chris Boice intervened, preventing the police and code enforcement from enforcing the law and codes in Southgate. But as soon as neighbors learned about that proposed emergency homeless camp development across the street, it all made sense.
When Tatone purchased the property at 1903 SE Main St., neighbors were unaware of his intention to put a homeless camp in their neighborhood. But when they found out that Tatone was a member of Roseburg’s Homeless Commission, they smelled a rat.
On September 19, 2025, residents of Southgate learned their neighborhood was on the chopping block.
This marshaled more than 120 Southgate neighbors to pack the courthouse at the September 22, 2025, meeting of the Roseburg City Council, where they presented a petition containing more than 200 signatures in vehement and unanimous opposition to the proposed urban homeless camp in their backyard.
This prompted the city council to shut down their plan for a homeless camp at 1899 SE Stephens St.
Only two members of the city council voted in favor of the proposed homeless camp in Southgate—Ellen Porter and Tom Michalek—both of whom live in the Laurelwood neighborhood which is plagued by houseless people from the Deer Creek Park homeless camp across the river.
But despite this vote, Roseburg Mayor Larry Rich said, “We’re gonna have to revisit it. Nobody wants it in their neighborhood.”
When a reporter asked Shelley Briggs Loosley if the council was proceeding with its plan to put a new urban homeless camp in Southgate. Loosely, told him emphatically, “No, we voted against that; we’re not trying to do that.”
But Southgate neighbors have their doubts.
In December 2025, contractors were seen working at the site of the proposed homeless camp. But a neighbor phoned the city and they said, “Sims Electric bought it and they’re moving in.” the city official told them. “We’ll send someone would check it out.”
The City of Roseburg has not yet purchased the flood-prone former Reddway depot because there is widespread consensus that it’s a poor choice of locations for a homeless camp.
Unless, of course, the city council intends for it to fail.
Ironically, there’s no reason for the city to spend nearly a $1,000,000 for the land and remodel of the old Reddway depot.
The city already owns ten acres that many consider a prime location for an urban homeless camp in Roseburg, east of Hwy. 5, between the armory and Lowes Home Improvement; south of General Ave., and north of NW Edenbower Blvd.
This location is not flood prone. It already has Americans with Disabilities Act approved sidewalks. It’s close to a walk-in clinic and hospital, and walking distance from a market with a hot food counter. And chiefly, the neighbors are not single-family homes, but rather big box stores whose properties are well fenced.
Southgate neighbors soon discovered Ben Tatone is apparently neither a good neighbor nor a competent contractor.
Before sunrise, at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026, neighbors in Southgate were rudely awakened by the loud noise of machinery. They peeked out the window and saw Ben Tatone demolishing the crumbling structure he owns at 1903 SE Main St. and spoiling everyone’s holiday in the process.
Tatone apparently chose this inauspicious day and time to avoid Oregon Department of Environmental Quality inspections.
A thorough search of the Douglas County Assessors database shows that Tatone didn’t have a city or county demolition permit. Nevertheless, he violated OAR 340-248-0250 which requires a survey by an accredited inspector, and OAR 340-208-0210 and OAR 340-248-0270 which require the use of “water or chemicals” to confine toxic asbestos and lead construction debris dust “to ensure that they remain wet until delivered to a disposal site permitted to accept such material and packaged in leak-tight containers.”
In apparent disregard of these statutes, Tatone expelled toxic airborne contaminants, lead, and asbestos into the air and soil. Neighbors reportedly went to urgent care with pulmonary issues.
Tatone apparently understood he was breaking the law but figured that by doing so before sunrise on a legal holiday, neighbors and city employees would be asleep, and the Roseburg police would be working a skeleton crew, so he wouldn’t get caught.
Tatone’s seemingly unprofessional and inconsiderate conduct made him immediately disliked and mistrusted by Southgate homeowners who presciently took videos and photos of his egregious New Year’s Day permit violations for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Even though the city council voted against the urban homeless camp in Southgate, Ben Tatone is apparently accustomed to getting his way. He seems to be more at home with campaign contributions, kickbacks, collusion, coercion, and law-breaking than transparency.
Case in point, at the February 23, 2026, meeting of the Roseburg Homeless Commission, Tatone embarrassed himself and his fellow commissioners by displaying his considerable ignorance of the bylaws of the very commission on which he serves.
Inarticulate and droll, Tatone addressed his fellow commissioners, “I do have a couple of questions, um, I’ll do the easy one first: is it permissible, um, I know that there are rules about the having the, um, public meeting, and notices and all of that. Is it—is it possible for this group to have a work session that is not open to the public where—”
But Roseburg City Manager Nikki Messenger immediately cut him off, “No, it is not.”
Tatone droned on slowly and deliberately, doggedly fixated on arranging a backroom meeting from which the public would be excluded, “What I suppose I should ask later; what level of intercommunication is available—or what’s allowable if we can’t have a work session? What, um, what other way can we manifest an ‘internal dialogue’ because it, um, it seems really ‘challenging’ to confront all of the logistics of any particular idea if this is the only time that we can talk.”
“So, welcome to the beauty of public meeting law,” Messenger told him, clearly exasperated by his apparent disregard for transparency.
“Business is to be conducted in the public for the commission…” she explained. “There are no limitations on discussions with staff. You can discuss with other commissioners anything that is just factual based, that is not going to be coming [up] for a decision, or you’re not trying to sway any kind of decision making that might come before the board.”
But Tatone was certain there was a way for the commissioners to meet behind closed doors, without public scrutiny. “So, if I’ve invited these ‘fine people’” he asked, gesturing toward his fellow commissioners, “over for pizza, and had a map of the city of Roseburg, and we took—would—and we talked about sites that were—would be available [for an urban homeless camp], that we could openly discuss later, that would be—”
“A violation,” said Messenger, clearly fed up with Tatone’s lawlessness.
“Well,” Tatone said tellingly, “that is an interesting violation.”
But Tatone tipped his hand, showing his fellow council members exactly how he weaponizes leverage through lack of transparency.
He asked, “Is there—is there no ‘nuance’ [clearing his throat for emphasis] within that legal structure?… I mean because anytime that a potential property would be discussed, it would immediately impact the city’s leverage in negotiation of procuring that property. So, it seems to me there should be some embedded nuance for discussion where the city would potentially be a buyer so that we’re not just setting off alarm bells for these people with properties of interest to raise their price or be more firm with their negotiation that they otherwise would be under market conditions.”
In other words, if the homeless commissioners can only discuss this at a public meeting, how are they going to obtain properties for well below market value?
Messenger explained, “So, city councils can go into executive session to talk about the purchase of a property… But I don’t believe commissions have that same authority.”
Amy Nytes nodded her head in agreement. But Tatone wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer.
He continued monotonously, undaunted by the acknowledged illegality of his request, “Are we sure, because we’re talking about the same thing that they’re talking about. And we’re talking about it on a precursory level, before it gets to them so can we pull that down to our level?”
Embarrassed, Messenger placated Tatone, “I’m happy to check with the Oregon Ethics Commission and get back to you.”
“Please do,” Tatone replied.
Tatone’s cavalier disregard for the rule of law mirrors that of Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice.
A few hours after the Homeless Commission meeting, Ben Tatone showed up at the February 23, 2026, meeting of the Roseburg City Council. He addressed the council, stating “there’s no budget for management of a [urban homeless] campground after one gets established… [and] no city of Roseburg financial resources earmarked for dealing with the homeless situation.”
He appealed to the council to “include a homeless fund of some amount in the upcoming city budget” which will be on the agenda for the May 6, 2026, city council meeting.
Just what we need—more taxes at a time of overwhelming taxes.
The neighbors in Southgate have documented that the City of Roseburg is apparently enforcing codes in other neighborhoods that are not enforced in Southgate—yet another example of the unequal application of the law in Douglas County.
The City of Roseburg claims it has the $675,000 to buy the old Reddway depot at 1899 SE Stephens Street, however it doesn’t have a budget for the operation and maintenance costs for the proposed urban homeless camp in Southgate.
And yet, there is no discussion of the “perfect property” for an emergency homeless camp that the city already owns between Lowes and the armory.
Last week, Roseburg’s Special Projects Coordinator Jennifer Bragg was asked if the City of Roseburg was proceeding with its plan for a homeless camp in Southgate.
Bragg answered, “No.”
But the neighbors in Southgate still have their doubts.
Back in 2019, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled in Martin vs. City of Boise, that a City of Boise ordinance violated the eighth amendment by imposing criminal sanctions against homeless individuals for sleeping outdoors, on public property, when no alternative shelter is available to them.
Nevertheless, dozens of municipalities across the United States have filed lawsuits to shut down homeless camps.
But even though San Francisco spends more than $1 billion a year on the houseless, as one journalist put it, “If our problems could be solved with money our problems would’ve been solved a long time ago. It’s not financing or funding, its policy.”
This is also true in Douglas County, Oregon, where policy dictated by county commissioners like Chris Boice is the problem.
Concerned citizens are encouraged to attend the public meeting of the Roseburg City Council at 7:00 pm, Monday, March 23, 2026, at City Hall 900 S.E. Douglas Avenue in Roseburg.
The corruption under Boise and others is appalling!