[Public Comments (Non-Agenda Items) (Limited to a maximum of 30 minutes. If additional time is required for public comments, they will be heard after Item No. 15. Public Hearing Calendar)]

NEXT, WE DO HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. LIKE WE DID LAST TIME, WE WILL TAKE ALL OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS UP FRONT. WE WON'T DO THE LIMITED 30 MINUTES. WE WILL JUST GO

[00:30:04]

THROUGH ALL THE NON AGENDIZED PUBLIC COMMENTS. IF YOU DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR AGENDIZED ITEMS, THEN YOU WILL BE CALLED WHEN THAT AGENDA IS BEING DISCUSSED BY THE COUNCIL. SO AT THIS TIME THE PUBLIC MAY ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL BOARD CORPORATION AUTHORITY ON ANY ITEM OF INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC. THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA BUT IS IN THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION THEREOF. PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE IN-PERSON, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO ONLINE. OKAY. AND I'M GOING TO CALL THE NAMES OF SEVERAL PEOPLE. AND IF YOU CAN START FORMING A LINE IN ORDER, AND THAT WHEN I CALL YOUR NAMES, THAT YOU CAN COME UP AND SPEAK. JAMES RODRIGUEZ AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE 1I1 ITEM UNDER NON-AGENDA, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TWO UNDER 17 AND 18. SO YOU'LL WAIT UNTIL THE OTHER TWO ITEMS WHEN WE GET TO THE OTHER TWO ITEMS. AND THEN CAN I GET RIGHT AFTER THAT? JONATHAN BECERRA, RENE RIVERA, CONSUELO MARQUEZ, LORENA ROBLES VAZQUEZ, BEVERLY GARCIA. AND JOANNA LLAMAS. IT LOOKS LIKE LLAMAS. ALRIGHTY. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JAMES RODRIGUEZ.

AGAIN. I'M A NATIVE AND RESIDENT HERE OF COACHELLA. JUST A FIRST OFF, CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE THAT WERE RETIRING. I KNOW THEY'VE ALREADY LEFT, BUT MY FATHER HIMSELF WORKED FOR THE CITY FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL HE DIED IN 2012. SO HE HIMSELF DEDICATED MULTIPLE DECADES TO THE CITY. AND THAT IS PART OF WHY I'M HERE SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY. HE WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT HOW AND WHERE WE ARE DEDICATING OUR EFFORTS TO THAT REGARD. I WILL STATE I AM ALSO HERE. IF IT WASN'T CLEAR FROM MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS, I AM ALSO HERE STATING THAT WE NEED A MORATORIUM NOT ONLY ON DATA CENTERS, BUT ON ANY INDUSTRY THAT COMES IN THAT IS NOT ALLOWED TO PAY ITS OWN WAY. IF WE ARE FOOTING THE BILL FOR THEIR ELECTRICAL, THEIR STREET, THEIR SIDEWALK, THEIR WATER, ANYTHING THAT WAS NORMALLY TAKEN CARE OF BY DEVELOPMENTAL IMPACT FEES, THAT CANNOT BE DONE RIGHT NOW, THEY SHOULDN'T GET TO GO FORWARD. AND ON TOP OF THAT, THEY KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE THE NEXUS REPORT. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE PUTTING IN THESE APPLICATIONS, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T SAY THIS NEXUS REPORT SAYS IT'S GOING TO COST WAY TOO MUCH MONEY, AND YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE US ALL THIS MONEY TO GET ALL OF THIS DONE. SO IF YOU CAN'T TELL THEM NO, THE ONLY THING TO TELL THEM IS, WELL, OKAY. YES. AND THEN WE FOOT THE BILL. NOT COOL. SO MORATORIUM ON ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES US TO FOOT THE BILL FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT WE DO NOT NEED OR HAVE NOT REQUESTED THROUGH A HUGE OUTPOURING OF PEOPLE. AND ONTO THAT THE CITY OF COACHELLA REPRESENTATIVES, YOU GUYS HAVE SOME HOMEWORK TO DO, RIGHT? ON TOP OF THOSE DIFF FEES, YOU ALSO HAVE STATEMENTS THAT YOU CAN BE MAKING ON YOUR OWN BEHALF. WE TWO WEEKS AGO ALL BECAME VERY FAMILIAR WITH A CERTAIN GROUP THAT WAS ON A CERTAIN STAGE, AND THAT CERTAIN GROUP COULD NOT DENOUNCE ANY TIES THAT THEY HAD TO ANYTHING. THAT BECAME A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS SUPPORTING THEM. IT'S NOT HARD. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE. YOU HAVE HAD MUCH TIME TO MAKE A STATEMENT, GET ON THE SIDE AND SAY, THIS WAS WRONG, THIS WAS RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT TO THAT AS WELL. I WILL SAY THE PLANNING COMMISSION OPEN SEAT. YOU GUYS HAVEN'T TOLD US WHY IT'S OPEN. YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US IF SOMEBODY DIED, IF SOMEBODY WAS NOT DOING THEIR ACTUAL MEETINGS AND THEIR ATTENDANCE RECORD GOT THEM KICKED OUT. YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US IF IT'S BECAUSE THE MAYOR'S CANDIDATE HAD TO BE LEFT BECAUSE HIS SEAT GOT VACANT. WE DON'T KNOW. AND TO THAT REGARD, WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT'S ON THAT PLANNING COMMISSION THAT ISN'T GOING TO APPROVE THE ANNEXATION FOR POCKET SEVEN, BECAUSE THAT IS A RIDICULOUS, RIDICULOUS PLAN TO JUST GET INDUSTRY IN THE FOOT IN THE DOOR SO THAT THEY CAN PAY FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. NO. THANK YOU. HELLO AND GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JONATHAN BECERRA. I AM A RESIDENT OF INDIO, BUT I AM A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. I DROVE ALL THE WAY OVER HERE TODAY BECAUSE I HAD A GLARING EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS TO A CITY WHEN WE ACQUIESCE TO LARGE CORPORATIONS.

WE JUST HAD OUR COACHELLA WEEKENDS, WHICH WERE BACK IN THE DAY WHEN WE EXTENDED OUR 20 YEARS EXTENSION FOR THEM. WE WERE PROMISED ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES, ALL THESE ACCESSES, ALL THESE WAYS TO MAKE OURSELVES ENRICHED AS A COMMUNITY AND TO GIVE THEM EXACTLY LIKE WHAT FEELS LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON IS ALL THESE CHANCES IN CITY MONIES TO DEVELOP THEIR, THEIR SITE. NOW HERE WE ARE LATER. THEIR SITE'S COMPLETELY ENCLOSED. NO ONE

[00:35:02]

LEAVES COACHELLA. ALL THESE PROMISES OF ACCESS ARE GONE, AND I THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES ME MORE SCARED TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY FROM INDIO TO HERE IS THAT INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING UP ACCESS TO OUR STREETS, TRAFFIC, HEAVY NOISE AND HEAVY POPULATION INCREASE IN COMING IN, THIS HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO THREATEN OUR ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND AGRICULTURAL LAND, WHICH WE DON'T GET TO REPLACE IN THE FUTURE. ONCE THAT IS GONE, IT IS GONE. AND IT'S SOMEONE WHO IS VERY MINDFUL OF THE WAR IN IRAN AND THE LACK OF FERTILIZER COMING IN AND LACK OF PETROL TO CARRY OUR AGRICULTURE ITEMS IN HERE. YOUR AGRICULTURAL LAND IS WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP MY FUTURE KIDS FED. IT'S OUR WATER IS WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP MY FUTURE KIDS CLEAN AND AND HEALTHY AND SURVIVE. AND I KNOW IT'S BECAUSE I'M ONE CITY AWAY, BUT LIKE, THIS ECOSYSTEM DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE LINES BETWEEN OUR CITIES. ONE SECTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT IS CRITICALLY AFFECTS ANOTHER PART. SO IT IS THE REASON WHY I'M SO MOTIVATED TO COME HERE TODAY. EVEN WITH MY PAST WORK WITH ANYONE HERE, IT IS SOMETHING I FEEL IS DIRELY NEEDED TO SPEAK OUT TOWARDS. I THINK IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT INDIO, SEE HOW MUCH IT HAS GIVEN UP TO A LARGE CORPORATION AND HOW LITTLE IT'S GOTTEN OUT OF IT, AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY DIFFERENT AND POTENTIALLY WORSE, BECAUSE THIS WILL AFFECT OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUYS'S TIME. I REALLY APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF THE ORGANIZERS IN THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. HELLO, COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RENE RIVERA. I'M A LOCAL HERE AT COACHELLA. I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE ALL MY LIFE. AND REALLY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I KIND OF CAME UP HERE WITH I FEEL LIMITED KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON. AT LEAST THAT'S HOW I FEEL. BUT JUST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I DID WANT TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS ON THE DATA CENTER. HAVING LIVED HERE, DATA CENTERS HAVING LIVED HERE FOR SO LONG. YOU DO SEE OVER TIME HOW CERTAIN THINGS BEING BUILT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY. AND I DO, FROM ALL THE RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE, I DON'T REALLY SEE FINANCIALLY, AT LEAST GETTING TO THAT FIRST IS HOW THIS WOULD BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY. AT LEAST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU GUYS ARE PAYING THEM TO. I KNOW IT'S STILL IN THE BEGINNING PROCESSES, BUT PAYING THE COMPANY TO BUILD THE DATA CENTERS AND WHERE IS THAT MONEY COMING FROM AND WHY ARE YOU GUYS USING IT FOR THAT, OTHER THAN SOMETHING ELSE THAT COULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY MORE? AND MAYBE IN THE LONG TERM, YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE THIS COULD BENEFIT IN THE LONG TERM AND THE CITY COULD POSSIBLY MAKE MONEY OFF OF IT. BUT AT LEAST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT. AND EVEN IF IT DOES SEEM LIKE IT'S GOING TO BRING US IN MORE MONEY, ASIDE FROM THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IT'S GOING TO BRING WITH THE AIR POLLUTION, THE NOISE POLLUTION, THE USE OF ELECTRICITY, I BELIEVE MOSTLY.

I MEAN, HOW IS IT NOT POSSIBLE THAT OUR ELECTRICITY BILLS ARE GOING TO GO UP IF SOMETHING AS BIG AS THAT IS BUILT RIGHT ACROSS THE FREEWAY FROM DOWN 52, AND HAVING WORKED AT THE SCHOOL THERE JUST LESS THAN A MILE AWAY, LESS THAN TWO MILES AWAY FROM WHERE THE PROPOSED AREA IS, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THE THOUGHT OF THERE'S ALREADY A FACTORY THERE NEXT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO IF IF THERE'S A DATA CENTER BUILT RIGHT ACROSS THE FREEWAY, THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT BEFORE THE BRIDGE, RIGHT BEFORE YOU HIT THE FREEWAY THERE. AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH THEY WOULD START GETTING AFFECTED. LIKE, LIKE I SAID, NOT JUST BY THE NOISE, BUT BY THE AIR POLLUTION, THE KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL, HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEM. AND IT'S JUST MORE BRINGING TO YOUR ATTENTION OF WHO ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO CATER, AT LEAST FROM THIS SITUATION? IS IT REALLY? ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO CATER THE COMMUNITY OR ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO CATER BIG COMMUNITIES OR I MEAN, BIG CORPORATIONS, EXCUSE ME, BIG CORPORATIONS OR TOURISM? WHO ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO CATER? AND THAT'S KIND OF MORE OR LESS THE QUESTION THAT I WANT TO LEAVE YOU GUYS WITH, BECAUSE I SEE I'M LOOKING AT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AND I SEE I SEE HOW MUCH STRESS YOU GUYS PROBABLY HAVE.

HOW MUCH QUESTIONS DO YOU GUYS HAVE? PROBABLY HAVE. I HOPE SOME OF YOU CARE. AND IF SOME OF YOU DON'T, I HOPE THAT YOU LOOK DEEP IN YOUR HEART TO REALLY REFLECT ON WHY IT IS THAT YOU DON'T. BUT YEAH, WHO ARE YOU CATERING TO? THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. HI EVERYONE. MY NAME IS GONZALO MARQUEZ. HI COUNCIL MEMBERS. HI EVERYONE. FIRST I WANT TO SAY SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE WHO'S STANDING OUTSIDE IN THIS HEAT. IF EVERYONE IS STILL OUTSIDE HERE.

AND THEN NEXT, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THAT HAPPENED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING FOR THE RETIREES, AND THOSE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS WERE BEAUTIFUL.

I THINK THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY VERY, VERY WELL DESERVED. AND THOSE TYPES OF PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO REPRESENT US. THEY REPRESENT COACHELLA, THEY REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY REPRESENT THE VALUES THAT WE THAT WE HOLD SO DEAR, BOTH WITHIN OUR FAMILIES AND JUST THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M STRONG OPPOSITION TO ONE, THE PARTNERSHIP AND CONTRACT THAT THAT THE CITY HAS WITH STRONG POWERS, THE CREATION OF

[00:40:01]

THESE DATA CENTERS OR THE TECHNOLOGY CAMPUSES. AND I WANT TO DEMAND THAT A MORATORIUM BE SET IN PLACE AGAINST THESE INDUSTRIES. YOU GUYS HAD THE VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ONE OF, UNFORTUNATELY, THE VERY FEW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES TO DENY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE DATA CENTERS AND ALSO PROTECT US FROM THE THREAT THEY POSE, THE THREAT AND THE THREAT THAT THEY POSE TO THE SAME TYPE OF TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGED EARLIER. THE LANGUAGE THAT HAS BEEN USED IN REGARDS TO THESE TOPICS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY PASSIVE AND DOESN'T REFLECT HOW INTENTIONAL IT APPEARS. EVERYONE HERE OR EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN IN REGARDS TO THIS TOPIC. ONE THE AGENDA ITEMS UNFORTUNATELY IS STILL NOT SORRY. THE AGENDA ITEM IS STILL NOT ON THIS WEEK'S AGENDA OR THIS MEETING'S AGENDA, EVEN THOUGH THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. SO I THINK THERE WAS TIME ENOUGH TIME TO HAVE IT NOT BE ON THE AGENDA. NEXT, I WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S UNFORTUNATE HOW FAR TOO MANY OFFICIALS, JUST THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, HAVE SHOWN HOW EASY AND HOW HAPPY THEY ARE TO SELL OUT THEIR COMMUNITIES, FOR WHAT I'M ASSUMING MIGHT BE EITHER FINANCIAL COMPENSATION, AN INCREASE IN REPUTATION, OR JUST WHATEVER PROPOSED BENEFITS THAT THESE COMMUNITIES THAT THESE CORPORATIONS SAY THAT THEY WILL HAVE TOWARD OUR COMMUNITIES. BUT AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT ANY KIND OF, LET'S SAY, PROPOSED ECONOMIC BENEFIT WILL EVER BE ENOUGH TO PUT OUR HEALTH AT RISK, TO PUT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AT RISK, OUR ENVIRONMENT AT RISK, WATER QUALITY, FRESH WATER, X, Y, AND Z. IT'S NOT ENOUGH AND IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH. AND AGAIN, THERE'S SO MUCH DATA BEHIND THIS. THERE ARE SO MANY TESTIMONIES, SO MANY VIDEOS, SO MANY DOCUMENTARIES, SO MANY ARTICLES JUST THAT HAVE PUT HOW DANGEROUS THESE DATA CENTERS ARE TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO AGAIN, I HOPE THAT THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS WILL NO LONGER CONTINUE. I HOPE THAT THE CONTRACT IS BROKEN OR THAT IT WILL NOT CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. I HOPE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE DATA CENTERS DOES NOT OCCUR. FINALLY, IT'S THE LACK OF ANSWERS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS HAS AND CONTINUES TO FEEL LIKE AN INSULT TO YOUR PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT YOUR THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS DESERVE MORE SKATING BY ON JUST POSTING MEETING AGENDAS PER STATE POLICY ISN'T ENOUGH AND WE DESERVE MORE ANSWERS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S HONESTLY ALMOST MAY AND WE STILL HAVE NO ANSWERS. SO THANK YOU. DEAR CITY OF COACHELLA COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS LORENA. I AM A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. I'M CALLING FOR THE CITY TO TERMINATE ITS AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD POWER AND IMPLEMENT A DATA CENTER MORATORIUM. I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS POWER IN COMMUNITY, THAT THERE IS POWER IN VOICING OUR CONCERNS HERE, AND I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT OUR COUNCIL WILL NOT SELL OUT ITS RESIDENTS AND UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATE THEIR LIVES BECAUSE WE HAVE THINGS LIKE COACHELLA, PROSPERA BLUE ZONES, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. BUT THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT THE FUTURE GENERATIONS, OUR SENIORS, OUR KIDS, OUR EVERYONE. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO LOOK AWAY AND ALLOW IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S WHAT ANY OF YOU SHOULD DO. I IMPLORE YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT AND ABANDON THIS PROJECT WHILE YOU STILL HAVE OUR SUPPORT. OTHERWISE, I WILL VOLUNTEER TO HELP ANYONE IN HERE TO GET THE SIGNATURES TO RECALL YOU FROM YOUR SEATS. THIS IS NOT A THREAT. THIS IS A REMINDER.

THAT WE, THE PEOPLE HERE, HERE TO REPRESENT US, AND WE WILL REMOVE THOSE WHO SHOW THAT THEY ARE HERE TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES ONLY AND NOT THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND NOT THEIR RESIDENTS. HI AGAIN. I'M HERE AGAIN TO APPEAL TO YOUR BETTER NATURE AND TO PROCLAIM MY OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER. AS MANY OF MY FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED, THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HAVING A DATA CENTER IN A COMMUNITY OUTWEIGH WHATEVER POSITIVE EFFECTS THEY MAY HAVE OR HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU IN THE PAPER. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DATA CENTERS COME TO TOWN? PUBLISHED IN JULY 2025. TERRY WHEN HIGHLIGHTS THE RAPID GROWTH OF DATA CENTERS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON COMMUNITIES. TO SUMMARIZE, WHEN WRITES ABOUT THE SAME CONCERNS, WE HAVE EXPRESSED EXCESS CONSUMPTION OF WATER, NOISE POLLUTION AND HIGHER ENERGY RATES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WHEN ULTIMATELY POINTS OUT THAT DATA CENTERS PROMISED HIGH PAYING TECH JOBS BUT DO NOT DELIVER ON THAT PROMISE AS MOST JOBS END UP BEING, QUOTE, LOW WAGE TERM, LIMITED NON-TECHNICAL POSITIONS SUCH AS SECURITY, MAINTENANCE AND JANITORIAL WORK. END QUOTE. I WON'T STAND HERE AND CONTINUE REFERENCING A PAPER YOU CAN READ FOR YOURSELF. I ONLY INCLUDE THE INFORMATION TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING MY FELLOW MEMBERS IN THE ARGUMENT WE ARE MAKING. OPPOSING THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER. CAPITALISM IS ALREADY DESTROYING THE ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE ACTIVE GENOCIDES IN PALESTINE, LEBANON, SUDAN, CUBA AND CONGO TO NAME A FEW, AND AN ACT OF WAR IN IRAN. CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR DATA CENTERS PLAYS INTO THE GAME OF CAPITALISM THE WAY THEY WANT IT TO, SINCE IT WILL ONLY BENEFIT

[00:45:05]

THOSE AT THE TOP. HAVING A DATA CENTER NEARBY IS SCARY, BUT WHAT IS SCARIER IS YOUR GREED AND READINESS TO SELL OUT THE CITY SOME OF YOU GREW UP IN. I COULD ONLY HOPE THAT YOU ARE TRULY HEARING WHAT WE ARE SAYING AND NOT JUST FEIGNING EMPATHY. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TRULY DEFEND THE COMMUNITY YOU SERVE. PROVE TO US THAT WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICES TIME BY ELECTING YOU INSTEAD OF THE DINGBAT CORRUPT LOSERS LIKE STEVEN HERNANDEZ AND CREW. MY WHOLE LIFE I HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY CORRUPT POLITICIANS. I'VE LIVED HERE 30 YEARS WHO FINAGLED THEIR WAY INTO THESE POSITIONS ONLY TO BENEFIT AND LEECH OFF OF US. THOSE SAME DUDS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND EXPLOITED US. AND THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME OR EDUCATION TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. AND NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IT TO US BY KEEPING US IN THE DARK AND PULLING STUNTS BEHIND OUR BACKS. AND WE'RE CALLING YOU OUT ON IT. THIS ISN'T THE SAME COMMUNITY THOSE DUNCES WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF. WE ARE GROWN, WE ARE INFORMED, AND WE WILL FIGHT. I HOPE YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE IN REJECTING THE DATA CENTER. THINK ABOUT YOUR LEGACY. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR? NEED I REMIND YOU THAT WE STILL REFER TO PAST POLITICIANS BY THEIR NEGATIVE MONIKERS. WHO WILL YOU BE? THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOANNE LOMAS. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY, AND I'M HERE TO ONCE AGAIN URGE THIS COUNCIL TO PUT A MORATORIUM ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF DATA CENTERS IN COACHELLA AND TO DIVEST FROM STRONGHOLD POWER COMPLETELY. AT THE LAST MEETING, OVER 100 RESIDENTS EMAILED YOU REQUESTING A MORATORIUM ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF DATA CENTERS.

PUBLIC COMMENT LASTED WELL OVER AN HOUR, WITH RESIDENTS SHOWING UP IN PERSON TO PASSIONATELY VOICE OUR OPPOSITION TO DATA CENTERS AND QUESTION THIS COUNCIL'S LACK OF TRANSPARENCY WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE QUOTED SCIENTIFIC STUDIES PROVIDING PROVING THAT DATA CENTERS ARE HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT, CITED REAL EXAMPLES OF INCREASED COSTS OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE FACED, AND TALKED ABOUT OUR EXISTING ISSUES WITH DRINKABLE WATER IN OUR HOMES AND IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND YOUR RESPONSE SINCE THEN HAS BEEN TO AVOID SPEAKING TO THE PRESS, PUT OUT A TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS FAQ THAT DIDN'T ANSWER ANY OF OUR CONCERNS, AND THEN CANCEL A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. THIS COWARDLY RESPONSE IS A TRUE DEMONSTRATION OF THE CHARACTER YOU ALL LACK. YOU SAT UP THERE AT THE LAST MEETING AND HAD MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CEREMONY TO GIVE THE COACHELLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER TEAM THE KEYS TO THE CITY. THEN YOU ASKED STRONGHOLD POWERS OVER WHEN THEY WERE HERE. AND SUPER IRONIC. ONE OF YOUR BIG CONCERNS WAS THE HEAT OF THE DAY, WHEN A DATA CENTER CAMPUS OF 12 DATA CENTERS HAS THE POSSIBILITY TO INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE OF OUR VALLEY BY 16 DEGREES ON AVERAGE. THEN COUNCIL DISCUSSED PLANS TO INCREASE WATER RATES FOR THE CITY RESIDENTS, ASKING RESIDENTS TO PAY MORE FOR CLEAN DRINKING WATER WHILE COURTING MULTIPLE WATER WASTING DATA CENTERS WOULD HAVE BEEN A LAUGHABLE CONCEPT IF IT WASN'T SO DANG SERIOUS. IF THIS COUNCIL IS WILLING TO CHARGE OUR COMMUNITY EXTRA TO CLEAN OUT CHEMICALS FROM OUR WATER BECAUSE IT WAS AN UNFUNDED STATE MANDATE, IMAGINE THE COST THEY'LL BE PASSING ALONG TO US WHEN WATER AND ELECTRICITY DEMAND SKYROCKET. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE WORDS TO CONVEY HOW DISAPPOINTING AND UPSETTING THIS IS. SO I'D LIKE TO BORROW FROM AN IMPERIAL VALLEY RESIDENT WHO PUT IT SO ELOQUENTLY IT ONLY TAKES ONE DECISION TO DISMANTLE DECADES OF PERCEIVED MORAL CREDIBILITY. WHEN YOU HOLD A POSITION OF POWER, A POSITION OF PUBLIC TRUST, YOUR CHARACTER IS NO LONGER MEASURED BY THINGS LIKE YOUR REPUTATION OR RESUME. IT IS MEASURED BY YOUR ACTIONS. ONCE YOU ARE ENTRUSTED WITH AUTHORITY, CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES. CHOOSING EXPEDIENCY AND SECRECY OVER ETHICS. CHOOSING CORPORATE INTERESTS OVER PUBLIC HEALTH, CHOOSING POLITICAL MANEUVERING OVER TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE.

YOU CANNOT CLAIM TO SERVE THE PUBLIC WHILE DISMISSING THEM. YOU CANNOT CLAIM MORALITY WHILE AVOIDING ACCOUNTABILITY, AND YOU CANNOT HIDE BEHIND FAITH, PAST GOOD DEEDS OR PERCEIVED CHARACTER. WHEN THE OUTCOME OF YOUR ACTIONS TELLS A VERY DIFFERENT STORY, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU MADE A DECISION TO OPEN THE DOOR TO STRONGHOLD POWER AND SHUT OUT THE COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE ALL TRASHED YOUR OWN CREDIBILITY AND BETRAYED THE TRUST OF EVERYONE WHO ELECTED YOU. DURING THE LAST MEETING, COUNCILWOMAN VIRGIN TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT THE MAYORAL DUTIES AND HOW IT IS A HUGE COMMITMENT, AND I AGREE COMPLETELY. BEING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IS A HUGE COMMITMENT AND IF YOU ALL UP THERE DON'T HAVE A COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY ANYMORE, WHY ARE YOU STILL UP THERE? I AM BEGGING THIS COUNCIL TO TRY AND GAIN BACK THEIR CREDIBILITY BY IMPLEMENTING A MORATORIUM ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF DATA CENTERS IN OUR CITY AND COMPLETELY DIVESTING FROM STRONGHOLD POWER. TIME IS UP.

CAN I GET THE FOLLOWING TO COME UP, PLEASE? IN ORDER. AND I THINK THIS LOOKS LIKE ASHRAE BE LORETTA PEREZ, JOCELYN SANCHEZ, ERNESTO. I CAN'T READ THE LAST NAME, BUT THE FIRST NAME IS

[00:50:03]

ERNESTO. MARIA SIXKILLER. ATHENA. JURY. STEPHANIE AMBRIZ. THOMAS. OLIVER. TABITHA. DAVIES.

MAYOR PRO TEM. IF I CAN JUST REMIND EVERYBODY HERE TO REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING DURING THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT, THEY HAVE THREE MINUTES AND PEOPLE ONLINE ALSO NEED TO HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. SO IF YOU CAN REFRAIN FROM LOUDLY CLAPPING DURING THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS ERNESTO COBOS AND I AM A COACHELLA RESIDENT. I CAME HERE TO ASK THAT YOU DIVEST FROM STRONGHOLD OF POWER, AS WELL AS BRING A MORATORIUM FOR THE DATA CENTER. THE DATA CENTER WILL PERMANENTLY DAMAGE THE THE ECOSYSTEM AS WELL AS BRING US THE PARTICLE COUNT IN THE WATER SO HIGH THAT ALL OF OUR PIPES WOULD. NEED TO BE REPLACED OVER TIME. NOT ONLY WILL THE WATER BE PERMANENTLY. CONTAMINATED AND CONTAMINATED, BUT ALSO WILL OR LIGHT BILLS GO UP IN PRICE AS WELL AS OUR WATER BILLS GO UP IN PRICE, WHY ARE WE FOOTING THE BILL? WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY FOR AN EXTERNAL COMPANY TO COME IN TO THE VALLEY AND TAKE AWAY WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE? THE THE TEMPERATURE IS GOING TO GO UP.

IT'S ALREADY HOT. IT'S ALREADY WE'RE ALREADY TRIPLE DIGITS SINCE FEBRUARY. IT'S GOING TO GET HOTTER. OUR KIDS WON'T BE ABLE TO LEARN. IT'S GOING TO BE TWO MILES AWAY FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IT'S GOING TO BE SO LOUD. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS? HOW ARE WE RATIONALIZING ALL THE DAMAGE THAT WE'RE DOING TO THE FUTURE GENERATIONS? AND FOR WHAT? FOR A COUPLE JOBS? I THINK SOMETHING A BIG PERCENTAGE OF THE JOBS THAT IT WILL BRING WILL BE AUTOMIZED. MAYBE WE WILL HAVE JANITORIAL JOBS, MAYBE WE WILL HAVE SOME ELECTRICIAN JOBS, BUT THEY COULD EVEN GET IT FROM ANOTHER STATE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SOMEONE LOCAL. THEY COULD BRING THEIR OWN PEOPLE HERE WHO IS GUARANTEEING US THIS JOB OPPORTUNITIES? WHO'S GUARANTEEING US THE. THE DEVELOPMENT OVER TIME? NO ONE IS WE AND WE'RE PAYING FOR IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I WROTE THIS DOWN REALLY QUICK. SO IT'S. SO IF WE ALLOW THE DATA CENTER, WHAT BENEFITS ARE WE GOING TO GET FROM THE DATA CENTER. BECAUSE WHAT I KNOW IT'S ONLY GOING TO IT'S IT'S ONLY BAD OUTCOME, SUCH AS MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER USED TO COOL DOWN THE CENTERS. WHERE IS THE WATER GOING TO COME FROM? ARE THESE DATA DATA CENTERS GOING TO BUILD ITS OWN PIPELINE? BECAUSE LAST I CHECKED, THE COACHELLA VALLEY IS ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH THE WATER CRISIS, ADDING THIS DATA CENTER. WHAT IT WHAT WILL IT INCREASE THE STRAIN OF THE VALLEY'S AQUIFER? IF THE PEOPLE DECIDE TO ALLOW THIS DATA CENTER. WHAT BENEFITS ARE YOU GUARANTEEING TO THE PEOPLE OF THE COACHELLA? WILL YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN OUTCOME THAT LEADS TO THE HEALTH ISSUES? WHO'S GOING TO TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY? IS THAT GOING TO BE THE CITY OF COACHELLA? OR IS THIS DATA CENTER YOU WANT TO BUILD HERE? IF THE PEOPLE DO DECIDE TO ALLOW THE CENTER, ARE THEY PLANNING TO INVEST MONEY IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY INFRASTRUCTURE? BECAUSE THIS IS A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR COMPANY ASKING TO BUILD A DATA CENTER HERE. WE WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY COMMITMENTS THEY'RE WILLING TO STAND BY IN A SHOW OF GOOD FAITH TO PEOPLE HERE IN COACHELLA, THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST USING US AS PAWNS, BECAUSE NONE OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE LIVING HERE. THEY'RE ALL PROBABLY GOING TO LIVE IN THEIR MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MANSIONS.

BUT WE'RE STUCK HERE, LIVING HERE AND IN THE DISASTERS OF WHAT COULD BE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOCELYN SANCHEZ, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. I'M HERE TO URGE YOU TO NO LONGER WORK WITH STRONGHOLD. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER, AS WE'VE

[00:55:07]

HEARD, ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, THAT A DATA CENTER, A DATA CENTER, MAY HAVE, ESPECIALLY TO OUR ENVIRONMENT, BUT AS WELL AS PEOPLE AROUND IT, WE'VE BEEN HEARING DIFFERENT CONCERNS ABOUT NOISE AND HOW THAT COULD SOMETIMES REPLICATE INTO A NOISE THAT COULD BE HEARD, LIKE AN MRI MACHINE GOING OFF ALL DAY. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVEN IN THIS COUNCIL, YOU COULD PROBABLY HEAR DUE TO THE DISTANCE IT WOULD HAVE FROM THESE DATA CENTERS. SO WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS PLACE UNLIVABLE. WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BE PUSHED OUT CONTINUOUSLY JUST BECAUSE WE WANT OUR THE BILLIONAIRES, THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BENEFIT MOST FROM THIS FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, ALL THESE PEOPLE. BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT, I THINK THE ONLY REASON WHY THESE DATA CENTERS ARE BECOMING SO PREVALENT IS BECAUSE THE AI INDUSTRY IS COMING OUT, AND THIS IS A NEW TURN OF THE CENTURY. AND THIS IS A TECHNOLOGY EVERYONE'S SUPER EXCITED TO TO USE. BUT IF WE REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, AI ACTUALLY USING AI ACTUALLY DECREASES COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, SHORT TERM MEMORY, ATTENTION SPAN, COGNITIVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN GENERAL, WHICH COULD BE DECISION MAKING, DECISION MAKING SKILLS, CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. WHY DO WE WANT TO ASK CHATGPT FOR EVERYTHING? THAT'S THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT TO DO. SO I REALLY STRONGLY URGE YOU ALL TO REALLY THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOUR DECISION TO JUST EVEN PUTTING IT ON FOR THE THE COUNCIL TO SPEAK ON, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SPEAK ON, IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU AT LEAST ARE SEEN TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY VOICE THEIR OPINIONS AND TO BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL THAT REPRESENTS THEM ACTUALLY STOOD BEHIND THEM INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM A DEAF EAR. THAT'S THAT'S NOT FAIR. SO I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT ALL THESE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, MOST OF US CAN'T AFFORD TO MOVE OUT AND GO AND BUY A NEW HOME WHERE WE WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY IT. SO I REALLY STRONGLY URGE YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT IT. AND THIS IS HOW IMPORTANT IT WOULD BE FOR YOU ALL TO JUST LOOK BACK AND SAY, WOW, I REALLY TOOK A STEP AND I REPRESENTED MY COMMUNITY ACCURATELY, AND I COULD LOOK BACK SIX YEARS FROM NOW AND FEEL PROUD AND FEEL HAPPY THAT I DID SOMETHING AND PEOPLE WOULD STAND BY ME. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS ATHENA. I'M A REPORTER WITH KESQ. AND THIS REALLY ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE DO A LOT, BUT I'M HERE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO GET ANSWERS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER ON THIS DATA CENTER, AND ALL OF OUR EMAILS AND CALLS HAVE NOT BEEN RESPONDED TO. I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE CRAZY, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT'S LIKE IN YOUR POSITION WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON. BUT WE HAVE HEARD NUMEROUS RESIDENTS AND VIEWERS SENDING US EMAILS THAT THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM THE CITY, AND WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE THEM A VOICE, TRYING TO BE FAIR IN OUR REPORTING AND REALLY GET ALL SIDES. SO I'M JUST PUTTING OUT THE CALL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE AND THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH ANY OF YOU GUYS WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN SHARE. MY EMAIL IS ATHENA.COM AND MY PHONE NUMBER IS (760) 275-5486. SO WHENEVER THE TIME DOES COME THAT YOU GUYS ARE READY TO SPEAK WITH US, WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THAT PLATFORM. AND JUST TO BE FAIR IN OUR REPORTING. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE. I AM A RESIDENT OF COACHELLA AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF YOU. THE CITY COUNCIL MUST IMPLEMENT A DATA CENTER MORATORIUM. WE HAVE MADE IT ABUNDANTLY, ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT WE DON'T WANT OR NEED THIS PROJECT. YOU CAN BUILD A UTILITY WITHOUT DATA CENTERS, AND WE DESERVE A SAY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR FUTURE UTILITY. YOUR AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD STATES THAT THE CITY WILL, AND I QUOTE, THE CITY WILL USE ITS BEST EFFORTS TO EXPEDITE THE PLANNING PROCESS AND THE ISSUANCE OF NECESSARY BUILDING PERMITS AND APPROVALS, AND THE CITY WILL WAIVE ALL FEES FOR PLANNING AND BUILDING PERMITS TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MEANING THAT YOU WOULD FAST TRACK THIS PROJECT USING TAXPAYER MONEY, DEMONSTRATING A CLEAR LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. THE DATA CENTERS

[01:00:04]

WOULD ALSO CONNECT TO ID, WHICH MEANS IT WOULD IMPACT ALL EXISTING CUSTOMERS ACROSS THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND IN IMPERIAL COUNTY, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN ENERGY COSTS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. WHEN THESE DATA CENTERS MOVE IN. THERE ARE SEVERAL. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST THAT HAVE JEOPARDIZED THE AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD. I'LL ONLY NAME A FEW TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WILLIAM OR BILL PATTERSON, FORMER INTERIM CITY MANAGER, HELPED MOVE THIS AGREEMENT FORWARD. ALL THE WHILE, HE HAS ALLEGEDLY BEEN CONTRACTED WITH A STRONGHOLD DEVELOPER, FORMER MAYOR STEVEN HERNANDEZ, WHO ALSO HELPED MOVE THIS DATA CENTER PROJECT FORWARD, RECEIVED DONATIONS FROM THE STRONGHOLD DEVELOPER ON TWO OCCASIONS. PER YOUR CITY WEBSITE. THE RECEIPTS ON THERE. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE CONSULTANT BBQ DRAFTED THE AGREEMENT, RAN THE RFP, NEGOTIATED THE DEAL, AND COULD NOT PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH THE LEGAL INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE AGREEMENT. THIS GOES AGAINST THE FOLLOWING. QUOTE. ANY PERSON OR ENTITY SUBMITTING INTEREST AND QUALIFICATIONS HERE UNDER MUST ATTEST, UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, THAT NO OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, NOR ANY BUSINESS ENTITY IN WHICH AN OFFICIAL OF THE CITY HAS AN INTEREST, HAS BEEN EMPLOYED OR RETAINED TO SOLICIT OR AID IN THE PROCURING OF ANY CONTRACT THAT MAY RESULT FROM THIS RFQ RFP PROCESS, NOR THAT ANY SUCH PERSON WILL BE EMPLOYED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF SUCH A CONTRACT WITHOUT IMMEDIATE WRITTEN DISCLOSURE OF SUCH FACT TO AND CONSENT BY THE CITY. IT'S ALARMING TO LEARN ALL OF THIS, AND IT'S ALSO ALARMING TO LEARN THAT BBQ HAS PREVIOUSLY COMPROMISED AN RFP IN THE PAST. I EMAILED YOU THE LINK TO THAT, BY THE WAY, AND IN THIS OCCASION THE STATE WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THAT AND THEY RESIGNED AS A RESULT OF IT. I DO APPRECIATE THAT DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA TRIED TO BRING THIS TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT IT SHOULD NOT JUST BE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER UP THERE PUSHING THIS CONVERSATION FORWARD. HELLO, MY NAME IS ASH COACHELLA. SO WE HAD A COMMUNITY PREP MEETING BEFORE THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 8TH, AND THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO SHOWED UP THAT STUCK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB, HAD A GREEN HAT, GLASSES, MAYBE YOU ALL HEARD OR SAW. HE SAID HE WORKED WITH SUNLINE, SAID HIS NAME WAS JONATHAN, BUT HE LIED. HE DOESN'T WORK AT SUNLINE. THAT WAS STRONGHOLDS BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR JONATHAN AVILA. I'M SURE SOME OF CITY COUNCIL OR STAFF RECOGNIZED HIM. HE WAS THE ONE WHO PRESENTED THIS PROJECT TO YOU ALL. FEBRUARY 11TH, 2026. WHEN THE AGREEMENT FOR THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY, WHICH INCLUDES THE PLANS FOR THE DATA CENTERS, WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY ALL OF YOU. THAT ACT HE PULLED OF LYING AND INFILTRATING OUR COMMUNITY PREP SHOWS THE INTENTIONS TO TARGET RESIDENTS THAT ARE ORGANIZING AGAINST STRONGHOLD PLANS. THEY ARE THREATENED BY OUR ORGANIZING AND ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO FRACTURE AND DISRUPT OUR FIGHT AGAINST DATA CENTERS. THAT'S WHO YOU'RE PARTNERED WITH. THAT'S EMBARRASSING. SHAMEFUL. SO IN THE CITY'S AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD, THE TIMELINE STATES THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW SEQUA PERMITS AND APPROVALS WOULD BE COMPLETE OCTOBER DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR. MOREOVER, THE PLAN WAS TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE ONE, AKA THE FIRST SIX DATA CENTERS, BY 2029. THAT'S DISGUSTING. THIS IS BEFORE THE PROJECT WAS PUBLIC. THIS IS BEFORE ANY PUBLIC INPUT, BEFORE THE SEQUA PROCESS. AND THIS IS ALL IN THE APPROVED AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD. I'M SURE OTHERS WILL TOUCH ON THE MANY PROBLEMATIC AREAS OF THIS AGREEMENT, BUT ULTIMATELY, THE WORST PART IS THAT IT'S STILL GOING TO CONNECT TO ID OR SW, YET IT WON'T SERVE COACHELLA RESIDENTS. THE ENERGY THESE DATA CENTERS WILL REQUIRE WILL SURELY INCREASE EVERY ID AND SW RATEPAYERS BILLS. ON TOP OF THAT, ON MARCH 11TH, 2025, THE CITY APPROVED A JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT WITH ID, IN WHICH THE CITY WILL CREATE A SURCHARGE FOR EVERY CITY OF COACHELLA ID CUSTOMER. AND THAT'S SO THE RATES WILL GO UP TO PAY FOR IMPROVEMENTS OF ID INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE CITY. AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING HOW OUR RATES WILL GO UP, SURELY, BECAUSE OF THESE DATA CENTERS. ON TOP OF THAT, RESIDENTS RECEIVED NOTICE OF THE WATER CONTAMINATION, THE CHROMIUM SIX, WHICH AFTER CONSISTENTLY DRINKING THAT IT CAN CAUSE CANCER DATA CENTERS, WILL WORSEN OUR WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY. DATA CENTERS WILL WORSEN OUR AIR QUALITY. THE CITY UTILITY, NOT NECESSARILY THE CITY, BUT THE CITY UTILITY

[01:05:04]

WILL ONLY BE GETTING 8% OF REVENUE FROM THE PROJECT, AND THAT'S AFTER COSTS AND EXPENSES ARE ACCOUNTED FOR 8%. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SELLING US OUT FOR, PUTTING IT LIGHTLY. THIS IS A DISASTER. TERMINATE THE AGREEMENT. MORATORIUM NOW. WELL, THAT WAS TOUGH TO FOLLOW. MY NAME IS TABITHA. I'M A RESIDENT OF SKY VALLEY. I AM A CO-DIRECTOR OF A NONPROFIT, AND I'M A FARMER. AND I WANT THIS TO BE CLEAR, SINCE I DON'T LIVE IN COACHELLA OR REALLY IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF COACHELLA, BUT WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO IN THIS SITUATION IMPACTS ME, MY FAMILY, MY FARM, AND MY LAND. WATER DOES NOT RECOGNIZE CITY LIMITS, AND NEITHER DOES POOR POLY.

THE ACREAGE THAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE SITTING ON, ON AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE DESERT, IN ONE OF THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY BURDENED AREAS, PREDOMINANTLY LATINO, LOWER INCOME COMMUNITY IN CALIFORNIA. THAT'S NOT AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE. AND CHOOSING TO DO THAT WILL GET YOU IN THE HISTORY BOOKS, PHOTOS AND ALL AS THE CRIMINALS WORSE THAN YOUR LAST MAYOR. THIS COMMUNITY ALREADY HAS THE SALTON SEA, RIGHT? SO WE ALREADY HAVE THAT IMPACTING OUR KIDS, OUR AIR QUALITY. AND WE'RE GOING TO ADD THIS ABYSMAL DECISION. LET'S LOOK AT THE WATER. I'M A FARMER. I KNOW WHAT WATER SCARCITY FEELS LIKE IN REAL LIFE. THIS PROJECT SITS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT TERRITORY, THE SAME DISTRICT MANAGING THE COLORADO RIVER FOR AG AND MOST RESIDENCES HERE. MY FARM DEPENDS ON THAT WATER, AND THEY JUST QUIETLY RECEIVED A $39 MILLION GRANT FOR THE THERMAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. AND NO ONE HAS EXPLAINED IF THIS WAS QUIETLY PLANNED AROUND THIS DATA CENTERS INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGE. AND I FIND IT FASCINATING THAT MR. ESTRADA HAPPENS TO BE YOUR UTILITIES DIRECTOR. AND HE'S ALSO ON THE BOARD FOR THE COACHELLA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT. FUN PUBLIC INFORMATION TO LOOK UP WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AVERAGE DISCHARGE, SINCE THIS CAN CONSUME HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF FRESH WATER PER DAY, 80% OF THAT EVAPORATES AND THE REST IS DISCHARGED INTO SYSTEMS THAT'S NOT MEANT FOR THAT LOAD. YET. RESIDENTS FACE CONSERVATION MANDATES AND PENALTY RATES FOR WATERING THEIR GARDENS. FARMS ALLOCATION CUTS DURING DROUGHT CYCLES. DOUBLE. SOMEONE MADE A CHOICE TO PUT THIS OUT THERE, NOT IN A WEALTHIER PART OF THE VALLEY. IN A 96% LATINO MEDIAN INCOME OF 25,000 OR LESS, WHERE MOST TRAILER PARKS HERE STILL DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE WATER.

PEOPLE HERE CAME TO THIS CHAMBER AND WERE TOLD ALMOST NOTHING. WHO TIMELINES COST TO RATEPAYERS. WE LEARNED FROM MEMPHIS, IMPERIAL VALLEY, LOUISIANA'S CANCER ALLEY, FLINT, MULTIPLE INDIGENOUS LAND CONTAMINATIONS AND THE DUKE ENERGY ISSUE WITH ASH.

COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ABSORBED THE POLLUTION WHILE INVESTORS ABSORBED THE PROFITS. FEWER THAN 150 JOBS EXIST AT THE LARGEST DATA CENTER. WHY WOULD THIS BE ANY DIFFERENT? YOU, YEAH, NEED A FULL SEQUEL, BUT THE FACT THAT THAT'S EVEN ON THE TABLE, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST EMBARRASSING. AND RESPECTFULLY, YOU HAVE A BAR LICENSE. HOW DID ANY OF THIS GET PAST YOU? ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS LORENA PEREZ. I AM A COMMUNITY MEMBER HERE. I LIVE HERE IN COACHELLA. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. SEE, AT A RECENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, A MOTION WAS MADE AND SECONDED TO PAUSE OUR DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT OR CREATE A MORATORIUM. THE MAYOR PRO TEM HAS BEEN THE CONSISTENT ONE TO PUSH THIS ISSUE, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGED. HERE IS THE CONCERN. THE REQUEST WAS FORMALLY MADE, BUT IT DID NOT APPEAR ON THE AGENDA. THE PUBLIC RECEIVED NOTHING. THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY CLERK ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARING THAT AGENDA. WITH OUR INPUT AND OVERSIGHT OF THE COUNCIL PROCESS, INCLUDING IS THE MAYOR'S ROLE IN IT AS WELL. THE PUBLIC DESERVES A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF WHY IT WAS NOT PLACED ON THIS AGENDA. LET ME BE CLEAR NO SINGLE PERSON RUNS THE CITY. DECISIONS ARE MADE BY FULL COUNCIL. THAT ONLY WORKS IF THIS IS A CLEAR AND RELIABLE PROCESS. UNDER BROWN ACT, THE MAYOR OR THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL CAN CALL A SPECIAL MEETING TO ADDRESS URGENT ISSUES SUCH AS THIS. THIS IS WHY. ALSO WHY LEADERSHIP AT MAYOR LEVELS. WE NEED TO FIX THAT NOW. THAT NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY DONE. AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TRANSITION AND A LOT AND AND TWO OF YOU AGREED TO HAVE THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND UNFORTUNATELY TWO DECIDED NOT TO. IF WE CONTINUE TO PUSH A SPECIAL ELECTION THAT WILL PUSH US FURTHER AWAY FROM GETTING A MORATORIUM FOR A DATA CENTER WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE A MAYOR PRO TEM WHO HAS ALREADY PUSHED FOR US TO START A MORATORIUM, I ALREADY I DO AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS HERE, AND THIS

[01:10:04]

IS AMAZING, BY THE WAY, I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS AMAZING. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THE PROJECT IS PRESENTED, IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE EFFICIENT, COST SAVING. WE KNOW THAT'S A BUNCH OF CRAP. LET'S GET REAL. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE THE RIGHT PEOPLE WHO ARE ON OUR SIDE TO GET THE MOTION GOING AND TO STOP THE DATA CENTERS. NOW, BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY WE ALREADY SAW THAT BACK IN 2019 IS WHEN IT STARTED UNDER A CORRUPT MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR PRO TEM, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS TOMAS OLIVA. I AM THE FORMER MAYOR, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE CITY OF EL CENTRO, CURRENT CANDIDATE FOR THE STATE, OUR STATE ASSEMBLY SEAT. AND I'M HERE.

NORMALLY, UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD PERHAPS REQUEST A MEETING WITH YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY, BUT I'M HERE HOPING TO EXPRESS A SINCERE AND GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT THE DIRECTION RELATED TO THE DATA CENTER. HERE IN COACHELLA. WE ARE FACING A DATA CENTER PROJECT IN IMPERIAL COUNTY, WHICH IS GOING TO DEVASTATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS.

AND YOU ARE NOW IN THE FORK OF THE ROAD OF WHAT THAT'S GOING TO MEAN HERE. SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT I CURRENTLY UNDERSTAND IS HERE IN 2019, THE CITY CREATED THE COACHELLA MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT, AND BETWEEN 2023 2024, YOU DID A FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT EXPLAINED HOW YOU WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE POWER AND CREATE POWER IN THE GREEN SPACE. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 86 IN 2025, YOU DID THE RFQ, RFP, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET TO CONVERSATIONS OF STRONGHOLD POWER SYSTEMS, WHICH CREATED THEIR AFFILIATE SUBSIDIARY, COACHELLA VALLEY POWER SERVICES LLC. AND SO ULTIMATELY, YOU HAVE THE COACHELLA MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT THAT'S NOW IN A PUBLIC, PUBLIC, PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CB POWER SERVICES. AND AS MENTIONED BY YOUR STAFF IN FEBRUARY, THE FIRST CUSTOMER IS THE COACHELLA VALLEY TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS, THE 240 ACRES OF DATA CENTER, 270MW OF POWER. THEY'RE GOING TO GENERATE 600MW, 270 OF WHICH ARE FOR DATA CENTERS. AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT EXPLAINS THE FRUSTRATION OF RESIDENTS OR ANYBODY THAT LIVES AROUND, IS THAT IN 2023, WHEN YOU WERE CONSIDERING WHAT THIS WAS GOING TO DO, THE IDEA WAS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IT WAS ABOUT BUILDING HOMES, IT WAS ABOUT BUILDING BUSINESSES AND CREATING JOBS. BUT THEN WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO WHAT YOU APPROVED IN FEBRUARY, THE FIRST CUSTOMER IS THE DATA CENTERS. SO THEN THE QUESTION IS WHY? RIGHT? AND I'M SORRY TO BE VERY VOCAL. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I'M HERE BECAUSE I AM VERY CONCERNED. THERE IS NO REPORT OUT THERE THAT WILL SHOW THAT DATA CENTERS WILL NOT IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. OF MY FRIENDS AND MY NEIGHBORS THAT LIVE HERE IN COACHELLA AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, YOU WILL REQUIRE A SEQUEL. I IMAGINE YOU'LL HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEW, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, EVEN BEFORE THAT REPORT IS CREATED, THERE IS NOTHING IN THAT REPORT THAT WILL TELL YOU THAT IT'S GOING TO CLEAN WATER, THAT IT'S GOING TO IMPROVE THE AIR QUALITY.

IT'S NOT. IT'S GOING TO CREATE EMISSIONS. IT'S GOING TO DAMAGE YOUR WATER. IT'S GOING TO DAMAGE YOUR LAND. IT'S GOING TO DEVASTATE AIR QUALITY. IT'S GOING TO CREATE NOISE POLLUTION.

IT'S GOING TO CREATE A HEAT SIGNATURE THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT FARMERS AND THE AGRICULTURE AROUND AND WHAT CROPS THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HARVEST. AND SO I JUST ASK YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT A MORATORIUM OF DATA CENTERS IN YOUR CITY. I ASK YOU TO PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR RESIDENTS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS. I ASK YOU TO PLEASE TURN THE TIDE IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. AS I CALL YOUR NAME, CAN YOU STEP UP? THAT WAY WE CAN GET EVERYONE IN ORDER. MARIA SIXKILLER. MARISSA KELLER, LORAINE SALAS. MARIA. ELENA GARCIA. IGNACIO. PARTIDA. SAUL JIMENEZ. SAUL JIMENEZ AND LOOKS LIKE REY. ASADA. ASADA. ANGELS. THEY CAN LINE UP. THEY'RE NEXT IN LINE TO SPEAK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M GOING TO CALL THE NAMES AGAIN MARIA SIXKILLER, MARISSA, KELLY, KELLY OR KELLY

[01:15:10]

LORAINE SALAS. WHEN I WAS OUT THERE, THERE'S NO TIME FOR ANY TV, SO YOU MIGHT WANT SOMEONE TO WALK OUT THERE AND LIKE, YEAH, CAN YOU SEND SOMEONE OUTSIDE? THAT'D BE GREAT. THANK YOU. SO NOW WE HAVE LORRAINE. YEAH. COULD WE GO WITH CONTINUE WITH LORRAINE AND WASHINGTON'S CLOSED CAPTIONING? YEAH, BUT THE TEAM IS OPEN. IT MIGHT BE. YEAH. SO. OKAY, LORRAINE, WE CAN WE CAN START WITH SINCE YOU'RE HERE. OKAY. HI, EVERYONE. I GREW UP IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. I'M A SCHOOL TEACHER IN THERMAL. I HOPE ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE BEFORE ME REALLY CONSIDERS RUNNING FOR OFFICE. WE REALLY DO NEED PEOPLE TO THAT ARE GOING TO BE FOR PEOPLE, PEACE AND PLANET TO BE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS BECAUSE OUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE.

LITERALLY OUR. SO I'M JUST WANTED TO START OFF BY SAYING HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYONE.

TODAY WE REMIND OURSELVES HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PROTECT OUR LAND, AIR AND WATER AND WHAT FITTING WAY TO DO THAT BY COLLECTIVELY AS A CITY COUNCIL TO SAY NO TO DATA CENTERS AND ANY MORE WAREHOUSES IN THIS CITY, PLEASE PROTECT YOUR RESIDENTS. PLEASE PROTECT OUR PLANET, PROTECT OUR LAND. PUT A MORATORIUM ON THESE WATER GUZZLING DATA CENTERS. PLEASE PUT HUMAN BEINGS FIRST, NOT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, BECAUSE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS HERE TO REPLACE HUMAN BEINGS. I KNOW SOME OF YOU GUYS THINK THAT'S FAR FETCHED, BUT PLEASE LOOK THAT UP. I'VE BEEN FAR FETCHED FOR A LONG TIME. SO OUR ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE SAID, BUT OUR COMMUNITY'S PRIDE. THIS COMMUNITY PRIDES ITSELF ON MAINTAINING SACRED LAND. AND IF YOU THINK THE JOBS ARE WORTH IT, PLEASE ASK THE ADVOCATES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS IN THE INLAND EMPIRE WHAT THEY THINK OF WAREHOUSES AND DATA CENTERS IN THE MOSTLY BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS THERE. SO PLEASE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, ADDRESS THIS IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RAY ANZALDUA. I HAD PUT IN MY COMMENT FOR THE OPPOSITION OF THE DATA CENTERS. NOT TOO LONG AGO. I HAD RECEIVED A PAMPHLET FROM A FRIEND OF MINE ON THE WATER, SANITATION AND THEIR LONG HISTORY, BECAUSE I GUESS THEY RECENTLY CELEBRATED AN ANNIVERSARY AND IN THEIR. DESCRIBES WHY THE COACHELLA VALLEY WAS SO BIG TO, YOU KNOW, THE OLD SCHOOL HOLLYWOOD AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT WAS BECAUSE OF OUR WEATHER. OUR WEATHER HAD PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR AGRICULTURE YEAR ROUND. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAME HERE FOR THE WINTER BECAUSE IT WAS SUNNY OUT AND PEOPLE CAN ENJOY IT. WELL, I THINK THAT DATA CENTER IS GOING TO DISRUPT ALL THAT. YOU KNOW, SOMEONE SPOKE EARLIER AND SAID THAT IT'S POSSIBLE FOR THE TEMPERATURE TO INCREASE BY 16 DEGREES. I MEAN, THAT'S HUGE. WE ALREADY HIT THE 120. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE SUMMER. I'D WHICH THEY I GUESS THEY WILL CONNECT TO. RIGHT. AND IF THEY UPDATE THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PRODUCE MORE ELECTRICITY. BUT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ELECTRICITY TO SUPPORT OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THERE'S POWER OUTAGES THERE ALL THE TIME. DISRUPTS OUR WORK. I SEE IT ON MY RING APP FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HEY, THE POWER'S OUT AGAIN ON THESE STREETS YET? I'M OVER HERE IN THE SUMMER PAYING 250 BUCKS TO COOL DOWN MY 550 SQUARE FOOT HOME. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHEN THAT'S GOING TO DO TO THE SENIORS WHO HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR ELECTRICITY, MAYBE EVEN THE COOLING PLACES THAT THE SENIORS GO TO IN THE SUMMER. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WHEN BIG MONEY COMES OVER HERE AND THEY SET UP THEIR INVESTMENTS AND DO WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING TO DO, I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW THE CITY IS GOING TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY ALREADY THE TRAIN, I LIVE UP THE STREET. THE TRAIN PASSES BY EVERY DAY. THAT THING GETS FASTER AND FASTER, LOUDER AND LOUDER. IT RUMBLES MY HOUSE. IT COULD BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. MY HOUSE STARTS SHAKING.

I CAN HEAR THAT TRAIN. SO PLEASE REALLY LOOK INTO WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING HERE. AGAIN, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND IMPACT OF THE COMMUNITY HERE THAT THIS DATA CENTER WILL HAVE. THANK YOU GUYS. IGNACIO PARTIDA, IGNACIO PARTIDA AND I LIVE IN

[01:20:04]

LA PODEROSA COLONIA. I'VE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 30 YEARS AND NOBODY HAS GIVEN ME OFFICIAL INFORMATION ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THEY HAVE TOLD ME, TOLD ME WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT NOT OFFICIALLY. FOR WHAT? BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW. I WANT MY KIDS TO STILL LIVE THERE, TO STILL GROW UP THERE BECAUSE IT'S WHERE I COULD BUY A HOUSE. IF YOU DON'T TELL US WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, THEN YOU CAN'T DO IT. IT IS THE EVALUATING. OKAY. WHAT I WANT IS TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO. I'VE HEARD EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SAID, AND IT'S NOT CONVENIENT THAT YOU WOULD PUT THE DATA CENTER HERE. IF IT'S GOING TO LEAVE US MONEY, THEN TELL US HOW MUCH AND THEN ALSO TELL US ALL THE CONTAMINATION IS GOING TO CREATE. IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE OUR WATER CONTAMINATED? YOU HAVE GIVEN US THE PROJECTS I'VE READ, SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTAMINATE IT EVEN MORE WITH THAT DATA CENTER. PLEASE CONSIDER IT THAT THIS IS OUR CITY. ALL THE SPANISH SPEAKING THAT SPEAK ENGLISH, THAT HAVE PAPERS, IT IS OURS.

WE LIVE HERE. SO PLEASE DO SOMETHING FOR US. DO IT WELL. GOOD EVENING. I AM SAUL JIMENEZ.

I AM A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. I AM A MARINE VETERAN AND I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE. AND I COME TO FIND OUT THAT MY CITY COUNCIL IS DOING UNDERHANDED, YOU KNOW, METHODS TO PUSH THIS DATA CENTER IN A WAY THAT JUST NOBODY, NOBODY HERE, EVERYONE SHOWED UP TO OPPOSE THIS DATA CENTER. NOBODY CAME IN FAVOR FOR IT. AND COME TO FIND OUT, YOU GUYS ARE RADIO SILENCE. IT'S KIND OF NOT SITTING RIGHT WITH ME. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, OUR MAYOR IS LIKE, CORRUPT. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? IT'S JUST TO ME, LIKE I'VE TOLD EVERYONE, I'M FROM COACHELLA, EVERYONE SAYS IT'S FOR THE FESTIVAL. I TELL THEM IT'S A CITY TOO, AND I'M PROUD OF IT. AND COME TO FIND OUT, I'M STARTING NOT TO BE PROUD OF IT. THAT'S THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.

I'M TRYING TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW. PLEASE AT LEAST DO SOMETHING OR LET US KNOW BECAUSE IT'S RADIO SILENCE FROM YOUR PARTS EVERYWHERE. AND IT JUST KIND OF GIVES ME THAT FEELING OF JUST CORRUPT OR UNDERHANDED METHODS OF JUST, YOU GUYS ARE EITHER GETTING PAID THROUGH STOCKS SOMEWHERE AROUND THE LINES OF THAT. I'M JUST, I'M JUST NOT PROUD. AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. THANK. THANK YOU. CAN I GET ALEJANDRO COBOS? LIVAN FELIX AND ELLEN CARVALHO? HELLO.

MY NAME IS ALEJANDRO COBOS. I'M HERE AGAIN IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME. I WAS A FORMER VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I WAS BEHIND THIS EXACT SAME AREA, LOOKING AT PEOPLE JUST LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL IS RIGHT NOW. I'M ALSO WORKING UNDER THE COACHELLA PROSPER PROGRAM, AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THIS. WHEN WE CAME HERE TWO WEEKS AGO, WE EXPECTED ONE RESPONSE. WE EXPECTED SOMETHING. AND THE FACT THAT WE DID GET ONE RESPONSE, WE GOT A FAST RESPONSE FROM DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA. WE ARE DISAPPOINTED. WE'RE NOT DISAPPOINTED. OUR PATIENCE IS GONE. AND HONESTLY, LET ME TELL YOU THIS, 61% OF OUR POPULATION DOES NOT MAKE $42,000 A YEAR. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. I LOOKED INTO IT. DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA MAKES BETWEEN 100 AND 50 5000 TO $200,000 A YEAR OVER HERE, 200,000 RIGHT THERE, 80,000.

90,000? NAH, MORE LIKE 155,000. YOU DRIVE NICE CARS. YOU LIVE IN NICE NEIGHBORHOODS. YET YOUR LAST NAMES SAY THAT YOU ARE FROM THIS AREA. YOUR LAST NAME SAYS THAT YOU'RE MEXICAN. THAT YOU HAVE THE SAME BLOOD AS ME. YOU'RE JUST TELLING US THAT'S WHAT IT IS. YOU'RE NOT LOOKING BACK FOR US. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS THIS HEATING IS NOT GOING TO AFFECT YOU WITH YOUR AC. WHEN WE COME HERE, WE COME HERE WITH PUTTING PUTTING OUR OUR HONOR ON THE LINE. WE'RE HERE PUTTING OUR FACE UP ON THE INTERNET AND EVERYTHING. YET THE ONES THAT ARE THE POLITICIANS THAT ARE HERE STANDING IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, ARE NOT SAYING ANYTHING IN RETURN. WE ARE NOT THE ONES THAT STUDY TO DO THIS. WE'RE NOT THE ONES THAT CAME HERE AND

[01:25:01]

WANTED TO RUN. SO WHY ARE WE SPEAKING WHEN IT'S YOUR JOB TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF OUR COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW WHAT COACHELLA WANTS. COACHELLA WANTS MORE TREES. SO PURIFIERS OR AIR, COACHELLA WANTS MORE WATER TO TO PURIFY OUR WATER FOR OUR CHILDREN THAT ARE GETTING ACNE ON THEIR BACK FROM FROM CONSUMING THE WATER THAT COMES FROM SALTON SEA. YOU KNOW, COACHELLA, THE PEOPLE COACHELLA WANT. WE WANT SHADE SO THAT IT'S NOT THIS HOT. NOT NOT TO JUST LIKE MAKE IT 16 DEGREES HOTTER WHEN WHEN I CAME HERE TO THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE I WAS BORN IN ARIZONA, BUT I MOVED TO MEXICO WHEN I CAME BACK HERE TEN YEARS AGO, WHICH IS CRAZY BECAUSE I LIVED HERE HALF THE TIME THAT MISS YADIRA PEREZ HAS 20 YEARS. WHEN I CAME HERE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A CITY COUNCIL WAS. I THOUGHT THE CITY WAS LIKE THAT AND THE CITY WAS GOING TO STAY LIKE THAT. AND THE FACT THAT THE CITY HAS STAYED LIKE THAT FOR TEN YEARS MEANS THAT YOU HAVE FAILED US. SO WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU'VE BEEN HIDING BEHIND STEVEN HERNANDEZ SAYING, OH NO, WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM. STEVEN HERNANDEZ GOT PAID BY STRONGHOLD STEVEN HERNANDEZ WHEN HE POSTED HIS BAIL BOND. HE GOT $7,500 FROM TOWER, THE COMPANY THAT YOU GUYS DID AN ELECTRICAL PROJECT WITH. WHY WOULD A PARTNER WANT TO GET HIM OUT? YEAH. DO THAT. WHY WOULD A PARTNER WANT TO DO THAT? SO LET ME TELL YOU THIS. WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT YOU'RE GETTING PAID AND WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU OUT. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ALAN CARVALHO. WE WORKED REAL HARD TO GET RID OF A CORRUPT MAYOR. WE ALL DID. I CAME HERE SEVERAL TIMES TO SPEAK OUT, AND I WAS THREATENED BY THIS MAN. THREATENED WITH A LAWSUIT, SAYING THAT I WAS. I WAS HARMING HIS NAME. NO, HE DID THAT ON HIS OWN. I'M TAKING A LOT OF PRIDE IN WHAT YOU ALL CAN DO. BUT THE SILENCE IS NOT WORKING. YOU ALL KNOW THAT YOU WERE ELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY, AND IF YOU REPRESENT A COMPANY THAT DIDN'T ELECT YOU, IS IT CORRUPTION? I DON'T WANT TO THINK THAT, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO THINK THAT ABOUT THE MAYOR. AND GUESS WHAT? PLEADING GUILTY TO FELONY CHARGES. SO I'M TELLING YOU, I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT YOU CAN'T BE SILENT.

AND I HAVE NO ALLEGIANCE TO ANY ONE OF YOU. I WILL CONTINUE DOING MY RESEARCH TO FIND OUT IF THERE'S ANY PAYOLA, BECAUSE THESE FOLKS LOOK AT THE TURNOUT. AND THANKS FOR HAVING PUBLIC COMMENT AT A TIME. INSTEAD OF WAITING TWO HOURS, WHICH I DID LAST TIME. THIS IS HERE. WE SET THIS UP FOR THE PEOPLE TO SPEAK, AND YOU'RE FINALLY GETTING A CLUE THAT YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO DO THAT. WE EACH HAVE THREE MINUTES. THOSE COMPANIES THAT COME HERE, 45 MINUTES. IT TOOK ME TWO HOURS WAITING TO SPEAK. LAST TIME THEY SPOKE SO FREELY, 45 MINUTES. WHO ARE THEY? THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE. THAT'S NOT FAIR THAT THEY GET THAT MUCH TIME. YOU SHOULD BE REVIEWING WHAT THEY'RE SAYING BECAUSE THEY REPEATED THEMSELVES A LOT. IT'S REALLY AN INJUSTICE TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I'M PLEADING WITH YOU.

PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. YOU'VE GOT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THE CITY HAS EXPERIENCED VERY HORRENDOUS CORRUPTION. THEY'RE NOW DEPENDING ON YOU TO WORK EVEN HARDER, TO NOT GIVE THEM THE IMPRESSION THAT MORE CORRUPTION IS GOING ON. EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE VALLEY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED WITH MR. HERNANDEZ. SO WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT YOU, EXPECTING YOU, KNOWING AS INTELLIGENT AND AS FORTHRIGHT THIS. THESE FOLKS ELECTED YOU TO DO THE JOB THAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO. AND WITH THE REPRESENTATION OUT HERE, A LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE ARE HERE SHOWING OUTRAGE. HOW DID WE GET HERE? HOW DID THE SITUATION COME UP THAT YOU ALL WOULD BE APPROVING THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS? HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN? WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ONE MAN MISSING AND WE KNOW WHY. BUT PLEASE KNOW. SILENCE. WELL, THAT'S NOT COOL. SILENCE IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE HIDING. THERE'S NO REASON TO HIDE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS LAVON FELIX. I AM A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA, AND I AM HERE TODAY TO ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION. DOES THE COUNCIL BEFORE ME SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF COACHELLA, OR DOES IT SERVE THE INTERESTS OF STRONGHOLD POWER? BECAUSE PLEDGING TO USE ITS BEST EFFORTS TO EXPEDITE THE PLANNING PROCESS AND THE ISSUANCE OF NECESSARY BUILDING PERMITS TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW DOES NOT SOUND LIKE SERVING THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE, NEITHER DOES SPENDING HALF $1 MILLION ON ITS FIRST OF

[01:30:04]

SIX PHASES WHILE IN A BUDGET DEFICIT. I HAPPEN TO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU ALL KNOW WHAT A COLOSSAL WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY THAT IS, BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I SPOKE HERE, I HAD THE DISPLEASURE OF WITNESSING YOU ALL COMPLAIN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SPENDING $75,000 TO ELECT AN INTERIM MAYOR, A TOPIC THAT YOU ACTIVELY DISCUSSED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY AND MADE YOUR CASES FOR AND AGAINST PUBLICLY. WHERE IS THAT SAME EFFORT FOR THE PROJECT THAT WILL COST SIX TIMES THAT, THE ONE THAT WILL DRAIN OUR CITY'S WATER SUPPLY, RAISE OUR ELECTRICITY PRICES AND KEEP UP ITS NEIGHBORS ON HOT DAYS WITH HOW LOUD IT'S UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO BE. IS IT ANY OF THAT IN THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE, OR IS IT IN THE INTERESTS OF THOSE WHO HAVE PAID FOR YOUR LEASHES, DIVEST IN THIS NONSENSE IMMEDIATELY BY TERMINATING YOUR AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD POWER, IMPLEMENT A DATA CENTER MORATORIUM AND START ACTING LIKE THE POLITICIANS YOUR ELECTORATE CLEARLY EXPECTS YOU TO BE, OR BE PREPARED TO BE REPLACED BY THOSE WHO WILL ACTUALLY SERVE US. DAILY. DO WE HAVE ANY MORE? THAT WAS THE LAST ONE. JASON, DO YOU HAVE SOME ON ZOOM? YES, WE HAVE ONE. TWO. OH, OKAY. THEY'RE RAISING THEIR HANDS. SO I'M GOING TO GO DOWN FROM ORDER FROM TOP. GIVE ME ONE SECOND HERE. CITY ATTORNEY. DO WE NEED TO HAVE THEM SHOW THEIR CAMERAS? YES, PLEASE. THOSE ON ZOOM. AS I PROMOTE YOU TO PANELISTS, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR CAMERA TURNED ON.

PROMOTING CODEC. GO AHEAD. HELLO, MY NAME IS LUZ GALLEGOS. I'M WITH LEGAL CENTER. I'M YOUR NEIGHBOR FROM ACROSS THE WAY. COACHELLA VALLEY DESERVES BETTER. WE HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND IN THE WEST END OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF PARIS, WHERE THESE TYPES OF WAREHOUSE DEVELOPMENTS DESTROY OUR FARMLANDS AND ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS HAVE HARMED OTHER LOCAL RURAL COMMUNITIES. THESE DEVELOPMENTS CREEP UP EMPTY PROMISES TO OUR CITIES AND DISRUPTING OUR FAMILIES ONLY SAFETY NET, THEIR JOBS, HOME AND HEALTH. OUR FARMWORKER COMMUNITIES DESERVE QUALITY AND DIGNITY. AS A COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO. WE NEED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DOES NOT COMPROMISE THE WELL-BEING OF OUR FARMWORKER COMMUNITIES AND OUR ENVIRONMENT. THE LIFE AND WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY IS IN YOUR HANDS. WE EXPECT OUR CITY LEADERSHIP TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR OUR COACHELLA COMMUNITY. NO TO DATA CENTERS, NO TO WAREHOUSES. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. PROMOTING LESLIE FIGUEROA.

HELLO. GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. YEAH. IT'S COOL. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS LESLIE FIGUEROA, AND I'M CALLING IN TODAY BECAUSE I WANT TO ADDRESS TWO THINGS TO THE COUNCIL. AS WE KNOW, THERE IS A VACANCY AND THE CITY NEEDS A MAYOR. THE CITY OF COACHELLA HAS ALWAYS NEEDED A BETTER MAYOR, AND WE FINALLY HAVE THE CHANCE. SO I URGE COACHELLA CITY COUNCIL TO APPOINT MAYOR PRO TEM FRANK FIGUEROA. I BELIEVE THAT HE IS THE BEST POSITION TO DO THE JOB. THERE'S NO NEED FOR A COSTLY SPECIAL ELECTION THAT WILL COST TAXPAYERS MORE MONEY. I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE THE BEST CHOICE TONIGHT. WE NEED TO CONTINUE DOING CITY BUSINESS AND ALLOW A STUDY SESSION ON DATA CENTERS, OR PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS TELLING YOU. SO YOU CAN ALSO SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY WITH THEM. THE COMMUNITY DESERVES LEADERS WHO PUT THEIR COMMUNITY

[01:35:04]

FIRST AND NOT POLITICS. AS FOR THE DATA CENTERS, IT'S IMPERATIVE A MORATORIUM IS PLACED BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE CONTINUES. IT'S CLEAR COMMUNITY MEMBERS DO NOT WANT THE DEVELOPMENT OF DATA CENTERS AND ALREADY IMPACTED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. COMMUNITIES LIKE THE CITY OF COACHELLA, AND THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IS ALARMING. THE CREATION OF ANY UTILITY IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA SHOULD ENSURE THE PUBLIC IS MADE AWARE OF ALL THE ISSUES, INCLUDING ANY RATES DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND DATA CENTERS SHOULD NOT BE PART OF THAT. MORE RESEARCH MUST BE CONDUCTED AND ANY AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE MUST BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT SPEAKER.

I KNOW THERE WAS ONE MORE HAND, RIGHT? THERE'S TWO MORE. OKAY, GARCIA, I'M GOING TO PROMOTE YOU.

GO AHEAD. YEAH. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I JUST HAD A QUICK COMMENT. YES. GO AHEAD. WHY DO YOU GUYS HATE US SO MUCH? AND HOW MUCH ARE YOU GUYS GETTING PAID? AND LIKE OTHER PEOPLE SAID, WE GOT STEVEN OUT. AND IF THIS PASSES, ALL YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GO OUT BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS THIS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS EVEN HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. PROMOTING. JENNY FELT.

PROMOTING. JENNY FELT. OKAY GOING TO BE PROMOTING CECIL. JENNY PUTS ON THE PROMOTED.

OKAY. I'M SORRY, I, I COULDN'T I COULDN'T HEAR YOU. I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM 18. SO IS THIS THE PROPER TIME TO DO THAT? NO, NO, THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENTS RIGHT NOW. ALL RIGHT. SO I SHOULD WAIT TILL I 18 COMES UP. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO PROMOTING CECIL.

CECIL, IF YOU COULD. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. CECIL LOPEZ. HI. YOU KNOW, I'M SO PROUD OF MY COMMUNITY FOR SHOWING UP TODAY. WHAT? UNREAL. UNBELIEVABLE THAT, YOU KNOW.

PEOPLE HAVE DONE THEIR RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, SMARTER PEOPLE THAN I SHOWED UP TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WITH DATA CENTERS AND DATA CENTERS ARRIVE TO COMMUNITIES. MY, MY NEIGHBOR SPOKE EARLIER, NACHO. HE KNOCKED ON MY DOOR YESTERDAY.

YOU KNOW, CECIL, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE THE DATA CENTER? AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NACHO.

I REALLY DID. AND UNFORTUNATELY I COULDN'T MAKE THE MEETING LIVE, BUT I, I WOULD SHOW UP TODAY ON ZOOM. YOU KNOW, I'M AN ADOPTER OF TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW, I'M USING IT NOW, BUT WHAT WE'RE IN STORE FOR, YOU KNOW, I READ A PAPER ON DONE BY TERI NGUYEN FROM MICHIGAN AND THE PAPER TALKS ABOUT WHAT DATA CENTERS BRING. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SMARTER THAN ME WENT OUT, WROTE THIS PAPER, AND EVERY ONE OF THESE SPEAKERS BEFORE ME TOUCHED ON EVERYTHING THAT THE KEY POINTS OF WHAT THIS PAPER SAID ABOUT WHEN DATA CENTERS ARRIVE TO YOUR

[01:40:01]

COMMUNITY, INCREASED UTILITY RATES, HIGH RESOURCE CONSUMPTION AND EFFECTS OF TAX INCENTIVES, CLIMATE AND ENERGY CHALLENGES, AND RESOURCE EFFICIENCY TRADE OFFS. YOU KNOW, IT'S SO INTERESTING TODAY BECAUSE ON COACHELLA'S CITY'S INSTAGRAM, IT SAYS IT'S EARTH DAY DOING WONDERFUL GOOD AND RECYCLE YOUR MATTRESS WELL. WHY DON'T WE DO A WORLD OF GOOD FOR OUR CITY AND PUT A MORATORIUM ON THE DATA CENTER? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE THAT SHOWED UP. AND THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU.

THOSE ARE ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, JASON. ONE SECOND. IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE ON ZOOM WHO'D LIKE TO COMMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THERE ARE NONE. OKAY. THERE'S NO MORE ONLINE.

AND JUST MAKE SURE AFTER YOU'RE DONE SPEAKING, YOU SUBMIT A FORM TO THE CLERK. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME IS TIM STERLING, AND I AM HERE BECAUSE I'M A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY, AND I CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF COACHELLA AND OUR VALLEY, THE CITY OF COACHELLA GENERAL PLAN 2035. IT LAYS OUT A CLEAR VISION FOR THE CITY PROTECTING AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE, SAFEGUARDING LIMITED WATER RESOURCES, AND PRIORITIZING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, ALONG WITH ENSURING THAT LAND USE DECISIONS STRENGTHEN THE HEALTH AND THE IDENTITY OF THIS COMMUNITY. THE PROPOSAL TO REZONE AGRICULTURAL LAND FOR A LARGE AI DATA CENTER CONFLICTS WITH THAT VISION. WE LIVE IN AN ARID DESERT WHERE WATER IS NOT JUST A RESOURCE BUT A LIFELINE. THE GENERAL PLAN COMMITS THE CITY TO SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT, YET A HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER REPRESENTS INDUSTRIAL LEVEL WATER AND ENERGY DEMAND IN A REGION ALREADY FACING LONG TERM AQUIFER STRESS. ONCE AGRICULTURAL LAND IS CONVERTED TO INDUSTRIAL USE, WE DO NOT GET IT BACK. WE DO NOT RECOVER THE WATER IT WILL CONSUME. THIS PROJECT IS ALSO LESS THAN TWO MILES FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. CHILDREN WILL BE THE FIRST TO EXPERIENCE THE IMPACTS OF DIESEL GENERATORS AND THEIR CONSTANT TESTING, INCREASED HEAT EMISSIONS AND CONTINUOUS MECHANICAL NOISE WILL ALSO AFFECT THESE CHILDREN ALONG WITH THE GREATER COMMUNITY, THE GENERAL PLAN EMPHASIZED PROTECTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND REDUCING CUMULATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS. WHILE APPROVING THIS REZONING WOULD UNDERMINE THESE COMMITMENTS, THE GENERAL PLAN CALLS FOR PRESERVING AGRICULTURAL AREAS AND PREVENTING INCOMPATIBLE INDUSTRIAL ENCROACHMENT.

APPROVING THIS REZONING WOULD SET A PRECEDENT THAT ANY FARMLAND CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO INDUSTRIAL USE. THE PROJECT PROJECT IS LARGE ENOUGH OR TECHNOLOGICALLY IMPRESSIVE.

THAT IS NOT PLANNING. IT IS RELINQUISHING THE FUTURE OF THE CITY TO WHOEVER CAN AFFORD THE BIGGEST FOOTPRINT. I WANT TO BE CLEAR I'M NOT AGAINST TECHNOLOGY OR INNOVATION, BUT PROGRESS THAT COMPROMISES OUR WATER SECURITY, OUR AIR QUALITY AND THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN IS NOT PROGRESS. IT CONTRADICTS THE VALUES AND PROTECTIONS EMBEDDED IN THAT GENERAL PLAN.

SPEAKING WITH RESPECT FOR THE COAHUILA AND CABAZON PEOPLES, WHOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THIS LAND STRETCHES BACK MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THEIR TEACHINGS REMIND US THAT LAND IS NOT JUST ACREAGE ON A MAP, IT IS A LIVING RELATIVE. IT HOLDS MEMORY, IDENTITY AND RESPONSIBILITY. AND EVEN AS SOMEONE WHO IS NOT INDIGENOUS, I FEEL THE TRUTH OF THAT. AND THIS DESERT WATER IS SACRED. BALANCE IS SACRED, AND EVERY DECISION WE MAKE SHOULD HONOR THE GENERATIONS WHO CAME BEFORE US AND THE GENERATIONS WHO WILL INHERIT WHAT WE HAVE LEFT BEHIND. AND ALSO, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, KIM KARDASHIAN AND THE KARDASHIAN CLAN, ALONG WITH THE JENNERS, THEY LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET IN THE MADISON CLUB. THEY'RE HERE PRETTY FREQUENTLY, AND THEY MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY IF THEY GET SOMETHING GREENLIT WITH HULU OR NETFLIX. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DYLAN. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS? GREAT.

SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS OUTSIDE? NO. OKAY. SO AT THIS TIME IT IS 741. WE'VE CONCLUDED PUBLIC COMMENTS. I DO WANT TO ASK THE COUNCIL IF THEY NEED A THE STAFF, THEY NEED A BIO BREAK. AND I KNOW WE'VE GONE THROUGH ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS. I PERSONALLY NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM, SO I'D LIKE TO CALL A THREE MINUTE RECESS AT THIS TIME SO PEOPLE CAN USE THE RESTROOM.

[01:49:22]

HELLO? YEAH.

[01:51:23]

OKAY. VOLUNTEER. WE'LL RETURN BACK INTO REGULAR SESSION FROM A QUICK RECESS. PREVIOUSLY, WE DID FINISH ALL OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS. AT

[Consent Calendar]

THAT PRIOR TO THAT. SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONSENT ITEMS BE ACTED UPON SIMULTANEOUSLY UNLESS SEPARATED. SEPARATE DISCUSSION AND OR ACTION IS REQUESTED BY A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. ONE OF THE WISHES OF THE COUNCIL ON THE CONSENT ITEM. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED. I'LL SECOND. I'LL JUST MAKE A NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT. OKAY.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER V.IHAAN. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO.

[New Business Calendar (Legislative and Administrative)]

YES. AND MAYOR PRO TEM DOCTOR THEODORE I. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS CALENDAR, LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE. NUMBER 16, APPOINTMENT OF GABRIEL GONZALEZ AS CITY MANAGER, APPROVING AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT WITH MR. GONZALEZ AND ADOPTING RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026 DASH 25 STAFF. RIGHT? YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THIS NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE APPOINTMENT OF GABRIEL GONZALEZ AS THE CITY'S NEXT CITY MANAGER. AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, THE CITY ENGAGED IN A VERY ROBUST RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND INTERVIEW PROCESS SPANNING SEVERAL MONTHS. THROUGH THAT PROCESS, COUNCIL'S CANDIDATE OF CHOICE. IT HAPPENS TO BE OUR CURRENT INTERIM CITY MANAGER, GABRIEL GONZALEZ. MR. GONZALEZ IS A SEASONED MUNICIPAL EXECUTIVE WITH NEARLY 30 YEARS OF MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE AND OVER TWO DECADES AS CITY MANAGER OF SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE, CULTURALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, MR. GONZALEZ WOULD BE AN AT WILL EMPLOYEE, SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF HIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, WHICH INCLUDE AN ANNUAL SALARY OF $300,000 WITH A RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION OF 6% OF BASE SALARY, A VEHICLE ALLOWANCE OF $500 PER MONTH, TECHNOLOGY ALLOWANCE OF $150 PER MONTH. MR. GONZALEZ AND HIS FAMILY ARE RELOCATING TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY, AND HIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR RELOCATION REIMBURSEMENT OF UP TO $15,000. THE TERM OF HIS AGREEMENT IS FOR THREE YEARS, AND THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR A PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF AT LEAST ONCE ANNUALLY. UPON APPROVAL, MR. GONZALEZ'S APPOINTMENT WOULD TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. THE RESOLUTION TO APPOINT MR. GONZALEZ AS THE CITY MANAGER, APPROVE HIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT AND SET THE CITY MANAGER COMPENSATION IS BEFORE YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS. NOT FOR 16, NOT FOR ITEM 16. OKAY. WHAT ARE THE WISHES OF THE CITY COUNCIL? THE FLOOR IS OPEN. I WANT TO BRING BACK THE ITEM THE NEXT FOLLOWING MEETING. THERE'S A MOTION. I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOTION. I'LL SECOND IT. IS THERE A REASON? I JUST WANT FURTHER DISCUSSION. BEEN SOME CONCERNS AND I DON'T WANT TO ADDRESS IT HERE. I DON'T THINK IT'S OKAY. SO CAN WE AGENDIZE THIS AS A. I'M CONFUSED BUT OKAY. THE THAT'S WHAT'S ON THERE. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE CAN CALL THE ROLL. OKAY, SO WOULD WE. SORRY. THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE DISCUSS, OBVIOUSLY NOT IN

[01:55:06]

PUBLIC. AND SO THIS IS WHY I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED. WOULD WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING FOR THIS? WOULD THIS COME TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. AND IT IT'S UP TO COUNCIL. WE DO HAVE OUR NEXT MEETING. WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY. SO I GUESS IS THE MOTION. I DON'T KNOW IF THE MOTION IS TO CONTINUE IT TO THAT DATE OR TO OUR NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. WOULD IT BE A CLOSED SESSION? WE CAN WE CAN HAVE A CLOSED SESSION. THIS ITEM HAS TO BE DISCUSSED. THE APPOINTMENT HAS TO HAPPEN PUBLICLY. THIS THIS APPOINTMENT DOES NEED TO TAKE PLACE PUBLICLY. THAT'S CORRECT. IF THERE'S FURTHER DISCUSSION THAT WE WANT TO HAVE IN CLOSED SESSION, WE CAN CERTAINLY AGENDIZE IN THE FUTURE A CLOSED SESSION ITEM TO TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I SUPPORT THAT. SO OKAY, IT'S GOING TO BE A MOTION TO CONTINUE THE DO WE WANT TO HAVE ANY SPECIFIC DATE TO CONTINUE IT TO. WE CAN DO IT TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING TO THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. YES. AND THAT'S A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER DELGADO, A SECOND BY. YES. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, I'LL SHARE SOME COMMENTS. COMMUNITY. WE DON'T HAVE A WE HAVE AN INTERIM. WE'RE TRYING TO GET A CITY MANAGER. WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD. WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE OUR OUR CITY FORWARD. WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE BUSINESS FORWARD. ALL OF YOU ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT. I THANK YOU FOR FOR DOING THAT. WE STILL HAVEN'T FILLED, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER POSITION THAT THAT WE HAVE AS WELL. SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE HOW UNBELIEVABLE IT IS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS AT THIS POINT. AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, WE DO HANDLE A LOT OF BUSINESS AS WELL IN CLOSED SESSION. AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS ARE ASKED AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AS WELL. SO I'M IN DISBELIEF THAT IT IS. WE'RE ALMOST IN MAY AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TO RESOLVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THAT SHOULDN'T TAKE US THAT MUCH TIME. WE'VE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING OUR DUE DILIGENCE WHEN IT COMES TO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, GOOD LEADERSHIP IN OUR CITY. AND SO I I'M NOT OKAY WITH THIS. I THINK THAT THIS IS PUTTING A PAUSE IN IN MOVING OUR CITY FORWARD. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COUNCIL IS AWARE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS HERE. THEY'RE WATCHING AND THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION, BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW WE LOOK REGIONALLY AND HOW WE'RE LOOKING TO OUR OUR FELLOW CITIES WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, TO GET THIS THROUGH. SO THOSE ARE JUST MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. AND JUST ECHO THOSE COMMENTS.

THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS BACK IN CLOSED SESSION IF SOMEONE HAD ANOTHER THINGS TO DISCUSS. BUT YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND AND JUST, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING ON IT. SO I'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT. SO, SO THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE LOCKING INTO A THREE YEAR CONTRACT FOR 300 K, IT WARRANTS MORE CONVERSATION. IF THOSE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD. IT'S NOT AN EASY DECISION. BUT I ALSO WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE WITH NOT ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS. FIRST, BEFORE WE LOCK IT INTO A THREE YEAR CONTRACT. AND SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE COMMENTS MADE AND I AGREE WITH THEM WHOLEHEARTEDLY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S A THREE YEAR CONTRACT AND IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. SO I FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. AND AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE ASKING IT TO COME BACK. NOW. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE AN INTERIM. SO IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY LEADERSHIP, BUT I HOPE THAT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU'RE LOCKING IN A CONTRACT TO THAT SIZE FOR THAT MANY YEARS, YEAH, YOU GOT TO BE READY. YOU GOT TO BE READY. AND SO, SO THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS THAT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK AND, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE CONCERNS BEEN SHARED WITH LEGAL COUNSEL. I WANT TO MAKE SURE LEGAL COUNSEL HAS THOSE CONCERNS SHARED WITH THEM TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE, IF IT'S CERTAIN ACTIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT LEGAL COUNSEL IS APPRAISED OF THE ITEMS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TOMORROW WE JUST WON'T HAVE AN INTERIM ANYMORE. YOU CAN WALK OUT THE DOOR. SO THAT'S A POSSIBILITY TOO. SO ALSO NOTE EVERYTHING THAT WAS READ RIGHT NOW BY OUR ATTORNEY, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HE SAID, THE SALARY, TRAVEL EXPENSES, ALL OF THAT IS NOT NEWS TO ANY ONE OF US UP

[02:00:07]

HERE. I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST POPPED OUT OF THE THIN AIR RIGHT NOW. NOT AT ALL. WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS. THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE AS A COUNCIL, AND THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE QUESTIONS. WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE. THAT'S FINE. IT'S SO FAIR TO HAVE QUESTIONS.

THAT'S WHY, AS MANY OF YOU HAVE SAID, YOU YOU ELECTED US TO BE HERE, RIGHT, TO ASK THE QUESTIONS. BUT I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR EVERYTHING HE LISTED IS NOT NEW. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST CAME TO US, RIGHT? NOT EVEN NOT EVEN CLOSE. WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS AND WE ALL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT AND TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS. WE ALL DO IT IN VARIOUS WAYS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THIS DID NOT COME OUT OF THIN AIR. AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF US ARE IN DISBELIEF THAT THAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO CONTINUE THIS ITEM WHEN A LOT OF US ARE TRYING TO GET BACK TO OUR BUSINESS AS AS A CITY, WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND IT'S JUST IT'S NOT OKAY. THIS IS NOT OKAY.

SO AND THEN JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE THE CONCERNS DO NOT HAVE TO DO WITH THE CONTRACT. THEY DON'T. AND I THINK THAT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH APPROVING A CONTRACT, THAT WE CLARIFY THESE CONCERNS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WE HAVE AN INTERIM CITY MANAGER RIGHT NOW WHO IS WORKING. IT'S NOT LIKE THINGS ARE NOT MOVING OR NOT GETTING DONE. WE APPROVED THE CONTRACT FOR A PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, AND THERE WAS THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD CONCERNS. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO CLARIFY THOSE CONCERNS AMONG US ON THIS DIOCESE, IF IT HAS TO BE ON CLOSED SESSION, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT CITY MANAGER THAT WE APPOINT, THAT WE ARE 100% SURE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE WORKING FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR OUR RESIDENTS.

AND IF THERE'S CONCERNS, I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY IT BEFORE I SECOND GUESS MYSELF AGAIN. SO I HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHY WE HAVE TWO WEEKS TO CLARIFY THESE CONCERNS.

AND IF THEY CANNOT BE CLARIFIED, THEN WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT ANOTHER SOLUTION. SO I HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHY. IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT. IT'S THAT THERE IS CONCERNS. AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY, OUR RESIDENTS, WE ARE GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AGAIN. SO I HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHY. YEAH. AND WHEN IT COMES TO LEGAL COUNSEL, SO USUALLY, I MEAN, IF IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE CONTRACT, IT WOULD GO TO LEGAL COUNSEL. SO THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE. AND SO IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS AS A COUNCIL. AND AND THAT'S SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS THAT IT'S NOT A NO. IT'S JUST THAT IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY COMFORT THERE IF THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSED PRIOR. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT I FEEL COMFORTABLE. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S THE REASON FOR IT.

THAT'S THE REASON FOR IT. YEAH. AND I JUST RECEIVED ONE PUBLIC COMMENT UNDER THAT ITEM. YEAH.

OKAY. ASRI B.

SHE MENTIONED. OH, OKAY. WELL, AT THAT POINT THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND. OKAY.

FOR TO CLARIFY, IT'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE ITEM TO COME BACK AT THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING AS A CLOSED SESSION ITEM. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER, REAL QUICKLY, IT'S A CLOSED SESSION OR AS AN OPEN SESSION. WELL, I, I, THAT'S WHAT I WANT. I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING, LET'S DO THE CLOSED SESSION THERE. SO WHEN IT COMES BACK, IT'S READY TO GO, RIGHT? YES. SO IT'S CONTINUING AS AN OPEN SESSION ITEM TO OUR NEXT REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING WITH THE REQUEST TO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION AT OUR NEXT SPECIAL MEETING, WHICH IS NEXT WEDNESDAY. CORRECT? OKAY.

COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER VIRGIN.

[02:05:02]

UNBELIEVABLE. WHAT IF I VOTE NO? WHAT HAPPENS? IT DOESN'T. IF THERE'S NOT A MAJORITY, THEN THE MOTION WOULD NOT PASS. IN THIS COUNTRY. AND WE CAN AND WE CAN MAKE A NEW. CAN WE MAKE A NEW MOTION? YES. SO WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK FOR NEXT WEEK FOR CLOSED SESSION IS THE REQUEST. AND THEN AFTER THAT WE WOULD HEAR IT PUBLICLY FOR THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. THAT'S THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, WHICH WOULD BE IN MAY, MAY 13TH. THAT'S CORRECT.

THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING TO TO BE HERE AGAIN WITH ANOTHER SITUATION OF A CITY MANAGER.

FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT AWARE, WE'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT'S WITH THE SAME INDIVIDUALS.

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO MOVE COACHELLA FORWARD? IS MY QUESTION FOR EVERYONE HERE. I WANT TO KNOW, AND YOU GUYS SHOULD BE ASKING THAT QUESTION TOO. AS AS JUST LIKE YOU'RE ASKING THE QUESTION FOR ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT YOU'RE HERE FOR, FOR DATA CENTERS, THAT QUESTION NEEDS TO BE ASKED AS WELL. YES, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE WON'T HEAR IT. SO YES. MAYOR PRO TEM FIGUEROA IN THE SAME SENTIMENT, VOTE YES, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A STALEMATE. AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO SIT HERE ALL NIGHT. OKAY, WITH THAT ITEM. ITEM NUMBER 16 IS CONTINUED IN TWO PARTS FOR THE NEXT MEETING NEXT WEEK, AND THEN THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IN MAY ON MAY 13TH. WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 17.

DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION UPDATING THE CITY OF COACHELLA CITY COUNCIL POLICIES, RULES AND PROCEDURES. RYAN, IS THAT YOU OR IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO COUNCIL, YOU WE PRESENTED TO YOU SOME REVISIONS TO THE AGENDA TEMPLATE FORMAT. AND SO WE'RE BRINGING THAT BACK TO YOU FOR DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION. SO HERE'S A SIDE BY SIDE OF THE CURRENT ORDER OF THE AGENDA ON MY WHAT'S THE LEFT? AND THEN THE PROPOSED ORDER OF THE AGENDA ON THE RIGHT. SO AS YOU SEE THE HIGHLIGHTED IS THE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA, WHICH INCLUDES THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE NON AGENDA ITEMS, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. THAT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR. SO WE'RE JUST MOVING THAT DOWN INSTEAD OF YOU TAKING ACTION INDEPENDENTLY. AND THEN COUNCIL DISCUSSION OF FUTURE ITEMS UNDER REPORTS AND REQUESTS. AND THEN DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR REPORTS BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER. SO IT'S PRESENTED TO YOU FOR DISCUSSION DIRECTION. IF YOU DECIDE TO PROCEED THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR YOU TO ADOPT THE CHANGES. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? YES. WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT ITEM FROM JAMES RODRIGUEZ. JAMES. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. COUNCIL. VERY QUICKLY, I, I, I DON'T EVEN NEED THE TIMER, I APPROVE THAT'S IT. IT THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR NOT ONLY YOU TO HAVE CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES, BUT THAT LITTLE TINY ONE ON 16 COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. BECAUSE WE HAVE A MAYOR PRO TEM THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO AGREE UNANIMOUSLY TO BRING SOMETHING TO AGENDA. SO AND THANK YOU, STEPHANIE, FOR DESCRIBING THAT TO ME. SO I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SO LET'S LET'S APPROVE THIS AND LET'S LET'S MAKE OUR MEETINGS WORK BETTER. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? IF NOT, THEN I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO THE COUNCIL.

I'LL GO AHEAD. MOTION TO MOVE IT FORWARD. I'LL SECOND THE FIRST IN A SECOND. I'LL MOVE ON.

THANK YOU AGAIN, STAFF FOR WORKING ON THAT ITEM. MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 18. THE PROCESS TO FILL THE VACANCY, WHICH WAS CONTINUED FROM OUR PREVIOUS. EXCUSE ME. WE NEED THE ROLL CALL VOTE. OH, YOU NEED A ROLL CALL. SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. FIGUEROA. MAYOR PRO TEM DOCTOR FIGUEROA.

YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES ON THAT ITEM. THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 18, THE PROCESS

[02:10:03]

TO FILL THE MAYORAL VACANCY. RYAN. YES. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL, THIS ITEM IS BACK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. WE HAD A DISCUSSION AT OUR LAST REGULAR MEETING REGARDING THE STEPS THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO FE TO FILL THE MAYORAL SEAT. THE FIRST OPTION IS TO FILL BY APPOINTMENT. THAT CAN BE AN INFORMAL PROCESS WHERE A NOMINATION IS MADE ON THE DAIS, SO LONG AS THE INDIVIDUAL IS AN ELIGIBLE RESIDENT. THE OTHER OPTION IS TO ELECT TO ADOPT MORE FORMAL PROCEDURES, AND THAT CAN LOOK LIKE HAVING A FORMAL APPLICATION PROCESS WITH AN APPLICATION THAT'S DESIGNED AS YOU WOULD LIKE WITH SHORT QUESTIONS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. THERE CAN BE AN INTERVIEW PROCESS ALONG WITH THAT, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A MEETING IN THE FUTURE FOR APPOINTMENT AFTER THE APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED, REVIEWED AND INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED. IF THAT IS THE WISHES OF COUNCIL. THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE, AND I KNOW I THINK COUNCIL KIND OF WANTED TO STEER CLEAR OF CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION THAT IS AN OPTION. THE SECOND OPTION OTHER THAN APPOINTMENT IS TO CALL A SPECIAL ELECTION. IF YOU DO SO, BASED ON THE TIMING OF THE VACANCY, THAT SPECIAL ELECTION WOULD OCCUR AND BE SUBSUMED BY THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION THAT IS TO TAKE PLACE ON NOVEMBER 3RD. ONE ALTERNATIVE IS TO CALL FOR AN ALL MAIL BALLOT ELECTION. IF YOU DO THAT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THAT CALL WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. I BELIEVE MAY 5TH IS THE DEADLINE, BECAUSE TO CALL A SPECIAL ELECTION, IT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE 114 DAYS OUT FROM THAT ELECTION DATE, THE ONLY AVAILABLE DATE FOR AN ALL MAIL BALLOT ELECTION IS AUGUST 25TH, AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK YOU THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND BRING BACK RESOLUTIONS TO CALL A SPECIAL ELECTION. IF THAT IS THE WISHES OF COUNCIL. AS A REMINDER, WHETHER BY APPOINTMENT OR BY ELECTION, THE INDIVIDUAL WILL ONLY SERVE UNTIL THE REMAINDER OF THE MAYOR'S TERM. THAT TERM ENDS ON NOVEMBER 3RD. AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME. ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS BOTH IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM? YES, WE HAVE THREE PUBLIC COMMENTS. ONE IS OSHRI BE. HELLO. NOT NECESSARILY MUCH TO SAY. MY NAME IS ASHBY, RAISED IN COTULLA. I JUST THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD ULTIMATELY HAVE THE MAYOR PRO TEM FILL THE POSITION AT THIS POINT. THAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE VICE MAYOR AND OPENING UP THE APPLICATION PROCESS. FOR ME, THAT'S NOT VERY DEMOCRATIC BECAUSE THAT IS YOU ALL CHOOSING SOMEONE THAT'S LIKELY WITHIN YOUR CIRCLES OR HAS EXPERIENCE. AND THAT'S PRETTY LIMITED. SO I THINK GIVEN THE TIME CONSTRAINTS LIKE THIS, THE DEADLINES MAY 23RD. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I JUST THINK THINGS SHOULD MOVE FORWARD. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN DELAYED AND THE SPLIT. SO THAT IS MY PERSPECTIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JAMES RODRIGUEZ. ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU. SO LAST WEEK OR THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF VERY ADAMANT THAT WE DO THAT MAIL IN BALLOT ELECTION SO THAT IT IS PART OF THE PEOPLE'S DECISION. HOWEVER, I ALSO GAVE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THAT, WHICH WAS THAT THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY, THAT THOSE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP, GET A VOTE, GET A CHOICE, GET PUBLIC COMMENTS, GET SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THE COMMUNITY IS BRINGING PEOPLE IN. BECAUSE AS ASH JUST SAID, WE'VE HAD MANY INSTANCES IN THIS CITY WHERE THINGS HAVE BECOME OPEN AND THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT PUT IN REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS OR THE REQUEST OR APPLICATIONS ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFILIATED WITH THOSE CLOSEST TO THE COUNCILS OR THE CITY ITSELF. AND THAT'S NOT FAIR. WE WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO DO THE JOB, WHO IS SUPPORTED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE AROUND THEM, NOT JUST THE CITY.

SO IF WE DO THIS APPOINTMENT PROCESS, WHETHER IT IS AND I AGREE NOW AS I HAVE LOOKED INTO MORE INFORMATION, DOCTOR FIGUEROA SHOULD BE OUR NEW MAYOR. HE WILL BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY COMPLETE THE TERM, BUT HE CAN RUN FOR REELECTION EITHER AS MAYOR OR AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AGAIN AND REGAIN HIS SEAT. I THINK THAT THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND ON TOP OF THAT, ONCE HIS SEAT IS VACATED, WE SHOULD HAVE THE EXACT SAME APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR THE NEXT PERSON. WHOEVER'S THE CITY COUNCIL PERSON NEEDS TO RUN, ESSENTIALLY, AND THEY NEED TO GARNER SUPPORT, THEY NEED TO BRING THAT SUPPORT. AND THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HAVE A VOICE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE VOTE, YOU GUYS HAVE ONE SEAT EMPTY. SO EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE VOTE THAT

[02:15:05]

THE COMMUNITY GETS TO SAY, THIS IS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER IT WORKS, THERE IS NO STIPULATION FOR YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW. THERE IS NOTHING SAID THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO DO IT IN A CERTAIN WAY. YOU GET TO CHOOSE CHOOSE US. YOU. STEPHANIE. THIS. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE AMBRIZ AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA. I URGE THE COACHELLA COUNCIL TO APPOINT DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA AS MAYOR TO FILL THE VACANCY. THERE'S NO NEED FOR A COSTLY SPECIAL ELECTION THAT WILL COST US ADDITIONAL TAXPAYER MONEY, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN THE COUNCIL IS ALREADY FACING A BUDGET DEFICIT. THE CITY WILL ALREADY NEED TO ADDRESS THE CHROMIUM SIX CONTAMINATION IN OUR DRINKING WATER TO PROTECT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE MEETING STATE STANDARDS, WHICH WILL BE COSTLY FOR YOU. ALL THE WHILE, THE CITY IS ALREADY IRRESPONSIBLY SPENDING $500,000 OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY ON A HARMFUL DATA CENTER PROJECT. WE DESERVE A REPRESENTATIVE WHO IS WILLING TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY. AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT. AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, MAYOR YOUSEF, I'M ALREADY CALLING YOU MAYOR FRANK. YOU ALREADY TRIED TO BRING THIS ISSUE ONTO THE AGENDA. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND REPAIR THE HARM THAT YOUR DECISIONS HAVE CAUSED, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES TRUST, AND TO TAKE REAL ACTION TO DO RIGHT BY THE COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA WILL REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY OF COACHELLA. AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING, AND THERE'S A CLEAR SPLIT IN THE DECISION MAKING.

AND MY MOM GREW UP WITH YOU, YADIRA, AND SHE DOES ASK THAT YOU THINK FOR YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS, YOU'RE NOT RELYING ON SOMEBODY ELSE THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE BEST INTEREST, THAT MAY HAVE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. AND I THINK WE'RE STALLING THE DATA CENTER CONVERSATION BECAUSE OF THIS CLEAR SPLIT. AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE US DOWN WITH YOU. SO MOVE ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ELLEN CARVALHO. OH, DID HE LEAVE? OKAY THEN THOSE ARE ALL THE WE HAVE TWO HANDS RAISED ONLINE.

TWO ONLINE. OKAY. PROMOTING GINNY FOAT.

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SHARE YOUR CAMERA. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. DID YOU SAY MY NAME IS JENNY FOAT? I'M RETIRED FROM 14 YEARS AS A PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. AND IN MY CONTINUING ADVOCACY FOR ISSUES I CARE ABOUT, I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE AND HONOR TO WORK WITH YOUR MAYOR. PRO TEM DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA. I'VE WORKED ON MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES WITH HIM, INCLUDING HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND OTHER TOPICS AFFECTING THE RESIDENTS OF COACHELLA AND, FOR THAT MATTER, THE ENTIRE VALLEY. I FOUND FRANK TO BE A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR AND AN IMPRESSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR CITY. YOU MAY WONDER WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE VIEWS OF SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA. OUR BELOVED VALLEY IS MADE UP OF NINE CITIES THAT DEPEND ON EACH OTHER FOR SUPPORT, FOR TOURISM, FOR BUSINESS BUILDING, FOR SERVICES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND ABOUT MANY OTHER QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT WE SHARE AND ALL CARE ABOUT THE CITIES OF OUR VALLEY. CONSIDERED A PARTNERSHIP SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY FORM THE COACHELLA VALLEY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS TO TO WHICH ALL THE CITIES BELONG, AND TO HELP ALL OF OUR CITIES MOVE THINGS ALONG. MAYOR PRO TEM FIGUEROA IS KNOWN TO ALL OF US TO HAVE THE VISION AND HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE INTELLIGENCE AND MOST IMPORTANT, THE LOVE OF HIS CITY TO BE THE NATURAL SUCCESSOR OF THE MAYOR OF COACHELLA. THROUGH HIS ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF HIS CITY, HE IS KNOWN AND RESPECTED THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY. HE IS CURRENTLY A MAYOR PRO TEM, WHICH BY DEFINITION REPRESENTS THE CITY WHERE THE MAYOR IS NOT AVAILABLE. THAT IS EXACTLY THE CASE HERE. I URGE YOU NOT TO

[02:20:01]

THINK ABOUT APPOINTING SOMEONE ELSE WHO'S NOT BEEN IN THIS ROLE, WHO HAS NOT WORKED TIRELESSLY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND THIS COUNCIL. I KNOW HE IS ADMIRED BY MANY OF US IN THE VALLEY, AND I URGE YOU TO AVOID THE PERSON THAT HAS REPRESENTED THIS COMMUNITY SO ADMIRABLY THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY. AND THAT'S DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA. ELECT HIM, SELECT HIM, I SHOULD SAY, AS THE MAYOR OF COACHELLA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING MY STRONG SUPPORT OF FRANK AND MY WISHES FOR THE CONTINUING SUCCESS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE GREAT CITY OF COACHELLA. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. PROMOTING STEVEN NELSON.

MR. NELSON. HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. GO AHEAD. YES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS STEVEN NELSON AND I AM ZOOMING IN FROM PALM DESERT. I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP. AND THAT'S REAL LEADERSHIP, NOT THE KIND THAT'S LOUD FOR THE SAKE OF BEING HEARD, BUT THE KIND THAT DELIVERS RESULTS, BUILDS TRUST, AND MOVES THE COMMUNITY FORWARD WITH PURPOSE. THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA. DOCTOR FIGUEROA REPRESENTS THE BEST OF COACHELLA. HE'S NOT JUST SOMEONE WHO SERVES THE CITY.

HE'S A PRODUCT OF IT. A SUCCESSFUL SON OF COACHELLA WHO UNDERSTANDS AT A VERY REAL LEVEL THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THE RESIDENTS FACE EVERY SINGLE DAY. THAT KIND OF LIVED EXPERIENCE ISN'T THEORETICAL. IT'S OPERATIONAL. IT INFORMS BETTER DECISIONS AND A SMARTER POLICY. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT SETS HIM APART. DOCTOR FIGUEROA HOLDS A DOCTORATE IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP. THAT'S NOT JUST A TITLE, IT'S A SKILL SET. AND FRANKLY, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE CITY NEEDS RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE NAVIGATING COMPLEX CHALLENGES, SHIFTING PRIORITIES, AND A RAPIDLY EVOLVING COMMUNITY. THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR GUESSWORK OR EGO DRIVEN DECISION MAKING. IT'S A TIME FOR DISCIPLINED LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIC THINKING, AND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO ALIGN PEOPLE, RESOURCES, AND OUTCOMES. THAT'S DOCTOR FIGUEROA'S LANE. HE IS A QUIET, THOUGHTFUL LEADER. AND LET'S BE HONEST, THAT'S OFTEN UNDERVALUED IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT. BUT IN THE REAL WORLD, THE LEADERS WHO LISTEN, WHO ASSESS AND WHO ACT IN ACT WITH INTENTION, THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY GET THINGS DONE. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WHO BUILD COALITIONS INSTEAD OF CONFLICT. AND WHEN TOUGH DECISIONS COME ACROSS HIS DESK AND THEY WILL. DOCTOR FIGUEROA HAS SHOWN TIME AND AGAIN THAT HE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. NOT THE EASY THING, NOT THE POLITICALLY CONVENIENT THING.

DOCTOR FIGUEROA HAS THE ABILITY THAT COACHELLA NEEDS. HE CAN SPEAK TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT RESONATES BECAUSE HE'S WALKED A PATH THEY RECOGNIZE. HE UNDERSTANDS THEIR ASPIRATIONS, THEIR CONCERNS, AND THEIR POTENTIAL. THAT IS, THAT'S NOT JUST AS IMPORTANT.

IT'S MISSION CRITICAL. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE, FORWARD LOOKING CITY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS COMES DOWN TO ALIGNMENT. DO YOU WANT LEADERSHIP THAT UNDERSTANDS THE MOMENT WE'RE IN? DO YOU DO YOU WANT LEADERSHIP THAT IS GROUNDED IN EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AND INTEGRITY? IF THE ANSWER IS YES AND IT SHOULD BE, THEN THE CHOICE IS CLEAR.

DOCTOR FIGUEROA SHOULD BE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. NELSON. WITH THAT, ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE ONLINE.

THERE'S ONE. OKAY. OKAY, WE HAVE ONE MORE. LORENA PEREZ PEREZ. I JUST KIND OF WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON EVERYBODY THAT SPOKE. I KNOW THAT I KNOW SOME OF YOU PERSONALLY AS WELL, BUT I DO SEE THERE IS SO MUCH AT STAKE RIGHT NOW. OUR OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURES, OUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE. AND I WILL 100% PUT MY CHILDREN'S FUTURE IN THE HANDS OF DOCTOR FIGUEROA,

[02:25:06]

NO QUESTIONS ASKED. AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THERE'S NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME. AND SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL.

SORRY, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION ON THE AGENDA PREVIOUSLY ALREADY. SO I'LL JUST KIND OF REITERATE WHAT I SHARED. WE HAVE A VICE MAYOR FOR A REASON. WE HAVE A MAYOR PRO TEM FOR A REASON. I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A LOT THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE. THERE'S A LOT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. DOCTOR FIGUEROA IS A STRONG LEADER. I THINK HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT HE'S BEEN DOING. I MEAN, HE'S BEEN TAKING THE LEAD FOR SOME TIME NOW SINCE WE HAVEN'T HAD OUR OUR MAYOR. I DON'T SEE WHY WE NEED TO TAKE MORE TIME ON THIS ISSUE. WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION PREVIOUSLY, SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND AND MY COMMENTS THERE. AND I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE OTHER COMMENTS, BUT I'LL ALSO MOTION TO APPOINT DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA TO FILL THE VACANCY OF MAYOR. MISTER CITY CITY ATTORNEY. FOR THE RECORD, I CAN SECOND THE MOTION, BUT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE. CORRECT. I WOULD ADVISE YOU NOT TO NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MOTION. YEAH. AND I DO HAVE COMMENTS. PEOPLE ASK FOR TRANSPARENCY. PEOPLE WANT ACCOUNTABILITY. AND WE SHOULD ALLOW THE PEOPLE TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS, OPEN IT UP TO APPLICANTS, CAN ALLOW THE RESIDENTS TO COME AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS ON WHO THEY WANT. THEY CAN VOICE THEIR OPINIONS. SOMEBODY ON, ON IN THE AUDIENCE SAID, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO COME AND SPEAK. I AGREE, IT'S NOT EASY FOR ME. IT'S IT'S BEEN A HARD DECISION. IT REALLY HAS BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE IN A LEADER, SOMEBODY WHO SPEAKS UP DURING COUNCIL MEETINGS, WHO, WHO WHEN THINGS ARE, ARE, ARE NOT RIGHT, CAN ACTUALLY. FEEL THAT THEY CAN VOICE THEIR OPINION. I DO, I REALLY DO. IT'S BEEN HARD. I HAVE WORKED WITH MAYOR PRO TEM DOCTOR FIGUEROA. I HAVE SO IT IS HARD FOR ME. THE EASIEST THING IT WOULD BE JUST TO SAY, WE'RE GOING TO APPOINT OUR MAYOR PRO TEM. BUT WHEN PEOPLE ASK FOR TRANSPARENCY AND WANT A SPECIAL ELECTION, I KNOW A SPECIAL ELECTION COSTS MONEY, YOU KNOW.

AND WHEN THE PEOPLE ELECT THE PERSON, THEY THEY MADE THAT DECISION. IT HASN'T BEEN ON COUNCIL. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THE COST. WE ARE. WE REALLY ARE. THOSE ARE MY THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. YEAH, I WILL I WILL TALK A BIT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, BUT IT ALSO TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO PUT THROUGH POLICIES THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY THERE IS. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME CONCERN THERE. AND SO THEN THE EASIEST DECISION TO MAKE IS JUST TO ALLOW FOR APPLICATIONS. AND SO THAT MEANS ANYONE ON COUNCIL CAN ALSO APPLY AND GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS. BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT NOW ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS. OBVIOUSLY, THERE WILL BE SOME CRITERIA IN THERE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN FACILITATE THE MEETINGS, WHO KNOWS SOME CITY GOVERNMENT OR AT LEAST GOVERNANCE, CITY OPERATIONS, CITY MANAGEMENT. THERE IS SOME CRITERIA THERE, BUT THERE ALSO ISN'T ANYTHING THAT KEEPS ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO FOR APPLYING AND THEN GOING THROUGH THE INTERVIEW SO THAT ANYONE CAN SEE AND THEN ALSO ASK FOR FOR QUESTIONS. YEAH. SO SO WITH THAT, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND ALLOW FOR INTERVIEWS. JUST REAL QUICKLY. WE DO HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS. COUNCIL

[02:30:05]

MEMBER MADE A MOTION TO APPOINT DOCTOR FIGUEROA. IT IS IT IS THE IS IT OUR IT IS OUR ADVICE THAT THERE IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND THAT THE THE INDIVIDUAL ON COUNCIL THAT'S APPOINTED SHOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE VOTE. AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD MAYBE STILL RESOLVE. COUNCIL MEMBER VIREN'S MOTION. IF THERE'S THEN MY COMMENTS. I'M SORRY, THEN I'M NOT DONE WITH MY COMMENTS. IF HE'S NOT ABLE TO TO VOTE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT WE'RE SPLIT RIGHT WHERE THIS CHAIR KEEPS US APART. SO WE'RE DOWN THE MIDDLE THEN.

I'M NOT DONE WITH MY COMMENTS. THEN I'LL KEEP IT MOVING. LOOK, I DON'T UNDERSTAND. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE TO PEOPLE. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE TO ALL OF US. YOU HAVE A VICE MAYOR. YOU HAVE A MAYOR PRO TEM SAME THING. AND THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE ONE AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THIS PART IS SO THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MAYOR, THEY CAN STAND AND THEY CAN TAKE ON THE MEETINGS, WHICH HE HAS. AND IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN, WHICH IT DID, THEN YOU HAVE THEM GO AHEAD AND TAKE ON THE MAYOR ROLE. IT'S IT'S NOT EVEN MATH HERE. LIKE REALLY IT ISN'T. THERE ARE OTHER REASONS WHICH I'M NOT PRIVY TO. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THAT WE'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU THAT IF THE MAYOR PRO TEM WERE SITTING ON THAT SIDE, WE WOULD HAVE RESOLVED THIS AT THE LAST MEETING. I CAN GUARANTEE THAT. AND I THINK ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT. BUT BECAUSE THE MAYOR PRO TEM IS SITTING ON THIS SIDE, WE'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. WE ALREADY COULDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH APPOINTING OUR CITY MANAGER, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE HAVE DISCUSSED THOROUGHLY. THERE'S BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. THERE HAS BEEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PICK UP THE PHONE, TO SEND AN EMAIL, TO SHOW UP IN PERSON LIKE SOME PEOPLE DO ALREADY ANYWAYS, AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED. OR IT HAS, AND WE'RE STILL HERE. WHY ARE WE HERE? WE HAVE SIX MONTHS OF STALEMATE. YEAH, THIS IS NOT OKAY. I THIS IS NOT OKAY. I, I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE TAKING THIS ROLE SERIOUSLY.

IT'S NOT A, I'M JUST GOING TO DO WHATEVER I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW. IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT. IT'S ABOUT LOGIC. IT'S ABOUT STRATEGY. IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE GET THE CITY GOING. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. WE HAVE NOT. AND I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING TOO. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT SINCE THE MAJORITY CHANGED TOO. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO JUST PUSH THIS FORWARD AND WHY WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PUSH FORWARD. THE CITY MANAGER APPOINTMENT TONIGHT. I AM DISAPPOINTED. I WANT TO SAY I'M SURPRISED, BUT I MIGHT BE LYING IF I WERE TO SAY THAT. SO IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING A LOT. THERE'S A LOT OF OF CONVERSATIONS USUALLY ABOUT ALLIANCES AND PEOPLE SAY, HEY, PEOPLE ALLY WITH THIS CAMP AND PEOPLE ALLY WITH THAT CAMP AND WHATEVER. SURE THAT THAT THAT IS TRUE. IT DOES HAPPEN. BUT A LIGHT STAND WITH WHAT'S RIGHT, STAND WITH THE LOGIC. THAT'S IT. JUST STAND WITH WHAT'S RIGHT AND AND MOVE, MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD. IT'S EMBARRASSING TO BE STANDING HERE AND HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO KEEP MY COMMENTS IN THE NEUTRAL SENSE BECAUSE I'M THE PERSON THAT'S NOMINATED AND I DON'T WANT TO CREATE A CONFLICT. BUT YOU HEARD SOMEONE TELL ABOUT ME THAT I'M A QUIET NATURED PERSON, AND I'M SORRY THAT I DON'T SPEAK UP WHEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT. AND I AM TIRED OF HIDING BEHIND A SHADOW BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND WE HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AND I AM NOT HERE TO FIGHT. I'M HERE JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW I'M A QUIET NATURED PERSON AND I SIT HERE AND ANALYZE EVERYTHING AND I DON'T REGURGITATE THINGS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF IT'S STATED ONCE, AND WHAT I SAW TODAY IN SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS IS I ENJOYED IT. AND WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT IT, I ENJOYED IT BECAUSE IT WAS VERY WELL EXECUTED. AND IN MY BRAIN, I THINK DIFFERENT. AND I'M VERY ORGANIZED. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES ORGANIZATION IS NEVER SEEN BECAUSE IT HIDES BEHIND. AND YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF THE ITEM. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE THERE. AND I DID MAKE A MOTION LAST MEETING. I'M GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION AGAIN. AND THERE'S TWO PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY REPORT TO US. AND TOMORROW, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO? I'M GOING TO CALL THEM UP AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT I

[02:35:03]

WANT FROM YOU. AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, RIGHT, THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE MAYOR'S ROLE. IS THERE A REASON WHY I WANT TO KEEP IT VACANT? IS THERE A REASON WHY THEY WANT TO BRING SOMEONE FROM OUTSIDE? WHAT IS HIDING BEHIND? I AM TIRED OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, AND COUNCIL MEMBER AND MYSELF, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES DON'T SEE EYE TO EYE. A LOT OF TIMES. A LOT OF TIMES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS THAT ME AND HER HAVE SAT HERE NEXT TO OURSELVES.

DO WE TALK? YEAH. DOES IT IRRITATE SOME PEOPLE? PROBABLY. BUT I THINK WHAT'S VERY IMPORTANT HERE IS SHE SEES THE PURPOSE. YES. AND IF WE DON'T FEEL THE FULL FIVE SEATS SOMEONE MENTIONED IT'S GOING TO BE SIX MONTHS OF STALEMATE. WE'RE GOING TO SIT HERE FOR FIVE, SIX HOURS UNTIL SOMEONE CAVES, OR WE JUST MOVE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING, BECAUSE MOVING THINGS TO NEXT MEETING CANNOT BE THE NORMAL IN COACHELLA. AND THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I'M JUST THAT'S JUST WHAT WE SEE. WHAT DID I, I WENT SOMEWHERE AND PEOPLE KEPT ASKING ME QUESTIONS, WELL, WHAT'S THIS? AND I'M LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IT. THIS IS THIS GOING TO BE THE NEW NORMAL? OKAY, FINE. I MEAN, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOU ALL BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT? IF A MORATORIUM DOES COME BACK, ARE WE GOING TO BE TWO TWO AGAIN? YEAH. SO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THEN? LIKE WHAT IS THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE? RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, IF I'M APPOINTED MAYOR, FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS GO AND CALL FOR A MORATORIUM. YEAH. AND IF THAT SCARES PEOPLE. THEN LAY THE LAND. AND THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. I DO WANT TO JUST RESPOND TO SOME OF IT. AND THE LAST MEETING, THERE WAS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR DURING OUR COUNCIL COMMENTS TO TALK ABOUT THE DATA, TO TALK ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND BRING IT BACK. I SECONDED IT. NOW, IT'S ONE THING SAYING SOMETHING HERE AND IT'S ALSO FOLLOWING UP ON IT, AND I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT'S BEEN FOLLOWING UP ON IT. SO I THINK WE MIGHT BE STRAINED A LITTLE BIT FROM THE MAYORAL APPOINTMENT. OKAY, SO, SO, SO BUT I DO I DO WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT. SO. GIVE ME A SECOND.

OKAY, SO WHEN THE K S REPORT CAME OUT, I DID TEXT OUR CITY MANAGER AND I SAID, WHY WASN'T I MADE AWARE THAT A REPORTER WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF OUR CIVIC CENTER FOR HOURS? SHE'S REPORTING THIS AND MAKES IT SEEM LIKE WE'RE HIDING SOMETHING. I'M AWARE THAT AS A CITY, IT DOESN'T IMPACT THE CITY, BUT IT DOES FOR US. THE REASON I READ THAT IS BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF OF WHAT AND HOW PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, FEEL, AND WE'RE TAKING ALL THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. BUT I DO ALSO WANT TO CLEAR UP AND I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHO DOES WHAT. THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF IT. IT'S ONE THING, YOU KNOW, BEING QUIET. SURE, ABSOLUTELY. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES AND PERSONALITIES. BUT IN THE LAST JUST TO I WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE. I WANT TO MAKE A NOTE OF IT. IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE PUSHED THE THE NEPOTISM POLICY, THE GRANT POLICY THAT PUTS THROUGH WHERE ANYBODY REQUESTING MONEY HAS TO PROVIDE RECEIPTS AND INVOICES. I PUT THE CODE OF CONDUCT FORWARD. I PUT THE PROCUREMENT POLICY FORWARD. I PUT WHERE ALL THE NOTIFICATIONS HAVE TO GO OUT IN SPANISH. SO IN THE 75 YEARS OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA, ANYTHING THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD GO UP WAS ONLY BEING SENT IN ENGLISH. AND SO I CHANGED THAT SO THAT IT ALSO GOES OUT IN SPANISH. AND A FOUR BY EIGHT SIGN GOES ON THAT LAND ON THAT PROPERTY WITH THE DATE OF WHEN THAT ITEM IS GOING TO COME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I'VE ALSO PUT THROUGH FOR THE CONFLICT FOR EXECUTIVES. SO I RECENTLY BECOME AWARE THAT THERE WAS AN EXECUTIVE WHO WAS WORKING FOR THE CITY OF COACHELLA FULL TIME, AND THEN WAS ALSO WORKING SOMEWHERE ELSE AT THE SAME TIME, EMPLOYED AND GIVING THEMSELVES CONTRACTS. SO FROM THE CITY TO THAT CONTRACTS I MADE, PEOPLE WERE HERE AND THERE WAS NO ACTION PUT FORWARD. SO I ALSO ASKED FOR A POLICY THAT PUTS FORWARD WHERE IT RESTRICTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS FROM BEING ABLE TO GET CONTRACTS OR GET CONSULTING JOBS COMING BACK. ADDITIONALLY, I PUT FOR RESOLUTIONS FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY, WHAT ARE WE WHAT ARE WE? I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE TYING THIS TO THE RIGHT.

SO THE REASON I'M SAYING IT IS BECAUSE IT WAS THROUGH COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO IT. THAT'S THE TRUTH. IT WAS THROUGH COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ. AND SO AND SO. AND MY POINT OF

[02:40:05]

IT IS THAT IT'S THAT DISCUSSION THAT'S BEING HAD IS THAT IT'S ONE THING THAT PEOPLE ARE QUIET AND THAT'S OKAY, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING PUTTING THROUGH POLICIES WHERE WE'RE HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. AND THAT'S THE REALITY. THAT'S THE TRUTH FOR THE DATA CENTERS. IT'S ONE THING SAYING IT HERE, AND IT'S ANOTHER THING FOLLOWING UP ON IT AND SEEING WHERE IT'S AT.

AND I ASKED THE CITY MANAGER IF MAYOR PRO TEM FRANCO HAS FOLLOWED UP WITH THAT. HE HAS NOT. HE HAS NOT. I FOLLOWED UP ON IT MANY, MANY TIMES. THE POINT OF IT IS, IS THAT. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE WHERE SOMEONE HAS TO BE APPOINTED MAYOR TO PUT THIS STUFF THROUGH.

AND SO EVEN IF SOMEONE PUTS IT THROUGH OR ANYONE ASKS FOR IT TO BE ON THE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE TO VOTE ON IT. WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IT. SO I DON'T FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE ROLE OF MAYOR TO BE ABLE TO PUT THROUGH POLICIES. YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. SORRY, I JUST ASKED. IT'S NOT TIME FOR THE AUDIENCE TO PARTICIPATE.

THIS IS COUNCIL'S DISCUSSION AMONGST OURSELVES. WELL, THERE'S NO DISRUPTIONS. I'M SORRY IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, CAN I. YEAH, I HAVE MORE COMMENTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HAS THE FLOOR NOW. SO YOU KNOW WHAT I ACTUALLY I AM GOING TO AGREE WITH ONE THING. YOU DON'T NEED TO BE MAYOR TO TO PASS POLICIES. THAT IS TRUE. I'VE SEEN SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS SUPPORT A LOT OF STUFF THAT HAVE CAUSED A LOT OF HARM TO THE CITY, AND THEY'RE NOT MAYOR, SO THEY ARE 100% CORRECT. I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN AND THEY'RE NOT MARRIED. THEY DON'T HOLD THE TITLE.

HOPEFULLY DOESN'T HAPPEN. THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS IT'S NOT ABOUT I CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE DISCUSSING SOMEONE BEING QUIET. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT HOW THAT IS SOMEWHERE UP THERE WITHIN WHERE WHERE DOES THAT IS THAT A PREREQUISITE? IS THAT LIKE A REQUIREMENT? DON'T BE QUIET. I DON'T COMPREHEND THAT. I WON'T WE WON'T EVEN GO IN THERE. BUT THE TRUTH IS WE NEED SOMEONE TO FILL THE VACANCY OF MAYOR WHO HAS BEEN ON THIS DAIS FOR SOME TIME, WHO HAS SOME EXPERIENCE ON THE ISSUES. THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLEX ISSUES YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT ONE TODAY. YOU'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ONE THOROUGHLY TODAY. IT'S VERY COMPLEX.

THERE'S A LOT. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT ONLY A FEW PEOPLE CAN DO IT. THAT'S NOT TRUE EITHER. A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN LEARN TO GO THROUGH AN AGENDA, ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. THAT'S ALL LEARNED, RIGHT? NONE OF US ARE BORN KNOWING THOSE THINGS. IT'S ALL SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEARN AND KNOWLEDGE THAT WE CAN ACQUIRE. THAT IS TRUE. BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SERIOUS THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO HANDLE. AND WE HAVE THE MAYORSHIP GOING UP FOR ELECTION IN NOVEMBER. WE ONLY NEED THE MAYOR PRO TEM TO STEP INTO THAT ROLE TO FILL THAT VACANCY. NO ONE IS EVEN HAVING A DISCUSSION ON WHETHER HE'S GOING TO RUN FOR IT OR NOT. THAT'S UP TO HIM. AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER HE'S GOT TO FIGURE OUT OR WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO RUN, THAT'S UP TO THEM. RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS WHO'S GOING TO FILL THAT VACANCY SO WE CAN SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. THERE'S ALSO BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION WITH POLICIES THAT SOME OF US BRING FORWARD, AND THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO DO RESEARCH AND ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN QUESTIONED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO. SHE HAS QUESTIONED THAT MANY TIMES. AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT, GO AHEAD AND WATCH SOME OF THE CLIPS. SHE BRINGS UP STAFF TIME ALL THE TIME. BUT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE ASKING OUR STAFF TO GO AHEAD AND SPEND TIME PUTTING TOGETHER AN APPLICATION, TO GO AHEAD AND SPEND TIME PUTTING TOGETHER ANOTHER MEETING, TO GO AHEAD AND SPEND TIME DOING ALL OF THAT. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

WHY? WHY ARE YOU ASKING FOR THAT RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS. BUT TOMORROW IT CAN BE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FOR YOU. AND THAT'S NOT OKAY. THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. DO THE RIGHT THING. DO THE RIGHT THING. ALLOW THE MAYOR PRO TEM. AND IF IT WERE YOU, WE WOULD BE. WELL, IF IT WERE YOU, WE WOULD PROBABLY FINISH THIS CONVERSATION A WHILE AGO. BUT DO THE RIGHT THING. ALLOW FOR THE MAYOR PRO TEM TO STEP IN AND FILL THE VACANCY SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. IF WE WANT TO FILL THAT POSITION, THEN WE TAKE APPLICATIONS. WE ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO APPLY, BUT WITH LESS STRESS. WHY? BECAUSE THEN OUR MAYOR, WHO IS FILLING THE VACANCY, IS ALLOWED TO GO TO THE COMMITTEES AND REPRESENT US

[02:45:01]

REGIONALLY, LIKE OUR COLLEAGUES AND OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES ARE EXPECTING US TO DO SO ON IMPORTANT ISSUES. SO ALLOW IT TO MOVE FORWARD IS HOPEFULLY ALL I CAN SAY AT THIS POINT, ALLOW THIS TO MOVE FORWARD. AND SERIOUSLY, WE NEED TO WE NEED TO BE BETTER. THERE IS MOTION ON THE FLOOR, RIGHT? I WANT SOME CLARIFICATION. THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. THAT'S CORRECT. MY THE CLARIFICATION I NEED IS I MADE THE THE NOMINATION CAN'T NOT VOTE FOR THAT MOTION. IS HE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE FOR THAT MOTION OR ARE YOU JUST NOT RECOMMENDING IT? WHAT IS IT? IT'S IT'S OUR OPINION THAT IT'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST UNDER COMMON LAW, BECAUSE THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS AN INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE. BUT BUT SORRY, I'M NOT I'M NOT FINISHED. BUT WHEN WE ASK BUT WHEN WE WE APPOINT SOMEONE FOR MAYOR PRO TEM, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO VOTE FOR THEMSELVES. YOU'RE GOING AROUND THE ROOM OR AROUND THE DAIS AND THEY'RE ALLOWED TO SAY YES. SO WHY THE DISTINCTION? AGAIN, UNDER UNDER COMMON LAW, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE THE VOTE TO APPOINT YOURSELF TO THE POSITION OF MAYOR HAS CERTAIN BENEFITS THAT YOU DERIVE FROM THAT OFFICE. IT IS IT IS A DISTINCT OFFICE. AND FOR THAT REASON, WE'VE ADVISED AGAINST VOTING ON THE APPOINTMENT. ON YOUR OWN APPOINTMENT, IS THERE ANY CASES, ANYTHING THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, DID RESEARCH ON THAT SHOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE AND THEY HAVE VOTED FOR THEMSELVES? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN SHOW. WELL, HOLD HOLD ON, HOLD ON. I HAVE A QUESTION. IF IF WE WERE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT RIGHT NOW, WOULD WE HAVE TO DECIDE RIGHT NOW HOW TO GO FORWARD WITH APPOINTING SOMEBODY ON COUNCIL? WOULD THAT HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW, OR CAN IT BE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH APPOINTING SOMEBODY TO THE COUNCIL SEAT? YEAH. SO IF YOU DID APPOINT SOMEBODY FROM COUNCIL TO TAKE THE SEAT OF MAYOR, THAT COUNCIL SEAT WOULD BE THEN DEEMED VACANT AND THERE WOULD BE IT WOULD START THE CLOCK AGAIN, ANOTHER 60 DAYS FOR YOU AS COUNCIL TO DECIDE TO APPOINT SOMEBODY, WHAT TO DO, WHETHER TO APPOINT OR TO CALL AN ELECTION. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION. SO I WANT TO DISCUSS IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. THEN CAN WE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT THEN? SO I DO WANT TO JUST DISCUSS IT A BIT BECAUSE IF AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS THAT THEN FOR AN APPOINTMENT FOR FOR COUNCIL, THEN WE WOULD BE COMING BACK AND GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AGAIN TO, TO FILL THE VACANT COUNCIL SEAT. WE WOULD FOLLOW THIS PROCESS AGAIN. THAT IS CORRECT.

AND WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. AND THEN CAN WE CAN WE DO THAT TODAY THEN? NO WE CANNOT. OKAY. WE CAN WE CAN BRING IT BACK, BRING IT BACK BECAUSE IT'S ON THE AGENDA. THAT'S WHY WE COULD BRING IT. WE COULD, WE COULD BRING IT BACK AS EARLY AS YOU ALL WOULD WANT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER REGAN. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. I'LL GO TO A POINT TO APPOINT DOCTOR FIGUEROA AS AS MAYOR.

REAL, REAL QUICKLY THOUGH, I THINK I THINK CAN YOU JUST CONFIRM THAT YOU WOULD ACCEPT THE THE NOMINATION IF INDEED IT THE APPOINTMENT IS MADE? I ACCEPT THE NOMINATION FROM THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND AT THIS MOMENT, I'LL STEP AWAY FOR THE COMMON LAW. CONFLICT OF INTEREST. AND WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ. YES. COUNCILMEMBER. YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO. YES. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND. I WILL MAKE COMMENTS AT MY NEXT TIME BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE ONE MORE AGENDA ITEM. SO WE CONTINUE THE MEETING AT THIS TIME. PUBLIC HEARING CALENDAR QUASI-JUDICIAL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION REAL QUICKLY, MAYOR, JUST BECAUSE DO WE WANT THE APPOINTMENT TO BE. I THINK THE APPOINTMENT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. YES. AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE DO NEED TO DO A SWEARING IN OF.

MR. DOCTOR. THANK YOU. YES. OKAY. IF YOU RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND THEN YOU CAN JUST REPEAT AFTER ME, I, I. FRANK FIGUEROA FRANK FIGUEROA DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND THE CONSTITUTION, AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH. THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION. TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF

[02:50:02]

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY. THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER. OKAY. I WILL REMAIN IN MY SEAT UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE PUBLIC HEARING CALENDAR.

[Public Hearing Calendar (Quasi-Judicial)]

QUASI-JUDICIAL A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026 DASH 23 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA. REQUEST FOR CONDITIONAL APPROVAL FOR ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT NUMBER 20 6-03 FOR THE RESET OF WELLNESS CAMPAIGN EVENT. TEMPORARY CAMPGROUND EVENT TO BE HELD ON MAY 29TH THROUGH MAY 31ST. LOCATED AT 83 272 51ST AVENUE ON APPROXIMATELY 7.79 ACRES OF LAND. ASSESSOR PARCEL NUMBER 779310012 AND 779310013, AND DETERMINING THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT. PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT GUIDELINES, SECTION 15 301, EXISTING FACILITIES APPLICANT ALVARADO STAFF. HELLO, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ADRIAN MORENO, ASSOCIATE PLANNER WITH THE CITY OF COACHELLA. AND I'LL BE PRESENTING THIS ITEM. THIS IS FOR EP NUMBER 2603 RESET WELLNESS CAMPING EVENT. FOR A BIT OF BACKGROUND, THE APPLICANT IS CLAUDIA ALVARADO AND CO-APPLICANT JUAN ALVARADO. THE CITY APPLICATION DATE WAS IN MARCH 31ST. THIS IS FOR AN EXISTING USE AT DATE FARM ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT AND SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE. THE CASE FILE IS FOR EP 2603 FOR THE PROPOSED TEMPORARY CAMPGROUND EVENT IN MAY 2026. THE GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION IS THE STATE RANCHO AND THE ZONING IS RESIDENTIAL ESTATE AND THE PROJECT IS CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT FROM SEQUA. PURSUANT TO SEQUA GUIDELINES. 15 301 FOR A PROJECT DESCRIPTION, THE PROPOSED ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT IS FOR THE RESET WELLNESS CAMPING EVENT TEMPORARY CAMPGROUND EVENT. IT INCLUDES 45 GLAMPING TENTS AND 50 VACANT SPACES. THE EVENT WILL INCLUDE AMENITIES SUCH AS RESTROOMS, BEAUTY BAR, FOOD TRUCKS AND DJ. PARKING WILL BE LOCATED ON SITE AND CAN ACCOMMODATE 161 VEHICLES. THE EVENT WILL INCLUDE BEER AND WINE GARDENS, AND QUIET HOURS WILL BE FROM 12 A.M. TO 6 A.M. FOR THIS. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO A PREVIOUS ITEM LAST MONTH THAT WAS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL. THE. ONE OF THE BIGGER DISTINCTIONS HERE IS THAT QUIET HOURS ARE FROM 12 A.M. TO 6 A.M. INSTEAD OF FROM 10 P.M. TO 6 A.M. THE EVENTS WILL BE HELD FOR MAY 29TH AND THROUGH MAY 31ST, SO IT WILL BE A THREE DAY EVENT FOR FINDINGS. THE APPLICANT RECEIVED CITY COUNCIL CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL FOR EP 2601 FOR THREE CAMP TEMPORARY CAMPGROUND WEEKENDS. THIS IS ONLY FOR ONE WEEKEND IN MAY. TO DATE, TWO OF THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED TEMPORARY CAMPGROUND EVENTS APPROVED UNDER EP 2601 HAVE OCCURRED. STAFF HAVE REACHED OUT TO CODE ENFORCEMENT. ALSO, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY HEALTH.

THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO ISSUES DURING THOSE PAST TWO WEEKEND EVENTS TO CONTINUE THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL FROM THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PROJECT LAST MONTH ARE THE SAME AND WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THIS PROJECT. AGAIN, IT WILL BE THE SAME. NOTABLE CONDITIONS INCLUDE MAXIMUM OF 200 GUESTS, QUIET HOURS 24 SEVEN LICENSED SECURITY GUARDS. CHIEF OF POLICE HAS THE POWER TO AND THE AUTHORITY TO PAUSE THE EVENT, AND THE PROJECT WILL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR TOTE TAX ORDINANCE AND ALL VENDORS MUST OBTAIN. CITY OF COACHELLA BUSINESS LICENSES AND FOR STAFF RECOMMENDATION, STAFF RECOMMENDS TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2623, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE EP NUMBER 2603 WITH THE FINDINGS AND CONDITIONS AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF. THE APPLICANT IS ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH ZOOM. I AM ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES, WE HAVE ONE FROM JAMES RODRIGUEZ. MR. RODRIGUEZ, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. IF. OH YEAH. SO FIRST I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. NOW IT'S 852. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THIS APPLICANT AT THE LAST MEETING. I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE ALREADY DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO WORKING WITH NOT ONLY RIVERSIDE COUNTY, BUT THE CITY OF COACHELLA WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS. AND I BELIEVE THAT THEIR LAST TWO EVENTS WERE SUCCESSFUL. SO WE NEED SMALL BUSINESSES, MOM AND POP PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO PERFORM THESE TYPES OF SERVICES AND EVENTS IN OUR CITY, AND TO BRING THAT TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAXES WITH THESE KINDS OF EVENTS THAT REALLY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN HAPPEN ALL

[02:55:02]

YEAR ROUND. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, JASON, ONLINE? YES. WE HAVE ONE HAND RAISED PROMOTING.

I THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENT. WE APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH, WE JUST FINALIZED THE FIRST WEEKEND AND THE SECOND WEEKEND OF COACHELLA, AND IT'S BASICALLY GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE WELLNESS ASPECT TO IT. AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT NINE YEARS WITH NO ISSUES, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BRING THAT TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE COACHELLA AND STAGECOACH ARE MOST LIKELY FOR LIKE FESTIVAL GOERS THAT COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. BUT THIS RESET WELLNESS CAMPING EVENT, IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE LOCALS. OF COURSE, IF OTHER PEOPLE AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE US WANT TO COME, THEY'RE WELCOME.

BUT WE ARE TARGETING THE YOUNG, WELL, NOT THE YOUNG. ANYONE TO JOIN THE WELLNESS EVENT AND CAMP AND EXPERIENCE RANCHO 51. KIND OF LIKE A FESTIVAL, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING WITH COACHELLA. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THOSE KIND WORDS. AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND, AND WE CONTINUE TO BRING NEW, FUN THINGS TO OUR NEW COMMUNITY. COACHELLA. ANYTHING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. IF THERE IS NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 8:54 P.M. COUNCIL.

ANY COMMENTS. IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKENDS. SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOTION TO APPROVE. THERE'S A MOTION. ANY OTHER COMMENT ITEM. I'LL GO AHEAD. AND SECOND THERE'S A SECOND THERE. OKAY. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ YES, COUNCIL MEMBER VIRGIN I COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO. YES. MAYOR PRO TEM FIGUEROA OR MAYOR

[Reports and Requests]

FIGUEROA I OKAY WITH THAT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO REPORTS AND REQUESTS FROM COUNCIL COMMENTS.

WE'LL START TO MY LEFT. COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ. YES, I DO HOPE THAT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS ONLINE HEARING THIS MEETING AT LAST. COUNCIL MEETING, MAYOR FIORELLA MOTIONED TO OR ASKED TO BRING A STUDY SESSION ON DATA CENTERS, AND IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO WHO SECOND THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT'S GOING ON AROUND A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE STILL NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THESE DATA CENTERS. AND I THANK EVERYBODY THAT CAME TO SPEAK ON IT. I'M THANKING OUR YOUNGER GENERATION, WHO ACTUALLY DOES A LOT OF THE RESEARCH, A LOT OF THE WORK UP, YOU KNOW. SO I DO WANT TO THANK THEM. AND I WOULD LIKE TO BRING BACK INFORMATION ON MORATORIUMS ON DATA CENTERS AND BRING BACK THAT STUDY SESSION. IN TERMS OF CITY MANAGER, THAT MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO REQUESTED AT LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WE DO NEED A STUDY SESSION AND WE DO NEED TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THIS. I ALSO WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE ARE ELECTED, WE ARE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD AND TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY SHOULD BE OUR PRIORITY. AND IF WE'RE NOT, HOW DO I SAY IT PRODUCING, THEN YOU GUYS NEED TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, YOU KNOW? I THINK THAT ALL OF US, IF NOT THE MAJORITY, WANT TRANSPARENCY ON OUR COUNCIL. WE WANT TRANSPARENCY FOR OUR RESIDENTS. WE DON'T WANT TO APPROVE THINGS THAT IN THE LATER ARE GOING TO COST OUR RESIDENTS A LOT MORE MONEY. NOT ONLY IS IT GOING TO COST RESIDENTS MORE MONEY, IT'S GOING TO COST ME TOO, BECAUSE I TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA, MY CHILDREN'S LIVE IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. SO I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON MY BEHALF IF I'M NOT DOING WHAT I SAID I WAS GOING TO DO. ON TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. YOU GUYS HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.

WE ARE HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK AND A LOT OF STUFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I TRY NOT TO LISTEN TO IT BECAUSE UNLESS YOU PERSONALLY KNOW ME, YOU DON'T KNOW A LOT. AND I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT WHEN WE'VE HAD EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THERE'S ONE PERSON ON THIS DIOCESE WHO HAS ATTENDED EVERY ONE, IF NOT THE MAJORITY OF THEM, AND HAS STAYED TILL THE END. AND THAT'S COUNCILMEMBER DELGADO. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND A LOT

[03:00:08]

OF THEM. AND WHEN I DO, I'M NOT ABLE TO PROBABLY STAY TILL THE END. SO I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT. SO STUFF THAT'S BEING SAID THAT THAT COUNCILMEMBER DELGADO DOESN'T ATTEND. I DO HAVE TO SAY SHE DOES. AND AND HAS FOUGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TOO. EVEN IF PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT. BUT AGAIN, HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE. AND IF THERE'S BEEN ONE OF US ON THE DIOCESE WHO HAS SUPPORTED SOMEBODY ELSE, WHO'S BEEN ON THE DIOCESE OR WAS IN THE DIOCESE TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD THAT WEREN'T GOOD OR DIDN'T SPEAK UP ABOUT IT AND WASN'T CORRECT, THEN HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE TO. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU.

COUNCILMEMBER DELGADO. IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN HEAVY. IT HAS. THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING ON AND MAKING DECISIONS HERE THAT REFLECT OR THAT IMPACT THE COMMUNITY IS HARD. IT REALLY IS BECAUSE YOU WANT TO TRY TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION EVERY SINGLE TIME. NOW ARE WE GOING TO GET IT RIGHT EVERY TIME? NO. BUT THE EFFORT IS ALWAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER OR TRY TO GET IT TO AS CLOSE AS WE CAN GET IT TO BE THE VERY BEST. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A LOT OF FOLKS HERE THAT DO THAT DO CARE A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, AND I WILL SAY THAT I DO GIVE IT 110%. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT SEE IT AND THAT'S OKAY. BUT I'LL TELL YOU, THE EXECUTIVE TEAM MEMBERS IN THE BACK, THE PERSON THEY ALWAYS CALL IS ME. AND THEY'LL SAY, HEY, ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU ON YOUR WAY? THE EXECUTIVE TEAM MEMBERS ALWAYS SAY, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP. IT'S IT IS. AND WHETHER IT'S A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, WHETHER IT WAS A PRIOR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, WHETHER IT WAS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, WHETHER IT WAS A PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER. I WAS ALWAYS GETTING THE PHONE CALL BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE, AND THEY KNOW THAT I'M ALWAYS GOING TO SHOW UP AND I DON'T NEED TO SHOW UP WHERE THERE'S CAMERAS. I DON'T CARE FOR IT, I REALLY DON'T. I LIKE TO BE ENGAGED WITH PEOPLE DIRECTLY, WITH PEOPLE. IT'S WHAT I ENJOY THE MOST. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO TRY TO GIVE IT 100%. AND I'M JUST SHARING THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS A SINGLE PARENT, I COULDN'T GIVE MY DAUGHTER EVERYTHING. SHE WAS RAISED HALF THE TIME BY MY PARENTS AND I'M NEVER GOING TO GET THAT TIME BACK, NOT EVER. AND I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT.

SO. SO HOW I LIVE IS TO TRY TO MAKE IT AS GOOD AND COMMIT MYSELF AS CLOSE AS I CAN TO 100%, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT. IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD. AND SO WITH THAT, CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR FRANK FIGUEROA. I HOPE THAT WHEN THIS COMES BACK OR THE ITEM COMES BACK TO A POINT, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FIGURE WE FIGURE THIS THIS OUT AS FAR AS THE THE INTERIM CM, THE THAT DECISION. AND AGAIN, THERE ARE JUST SOME CONCERNS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND THAT'S THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST IT. AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE MY MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO, COUNCIL MEMBER BEACON. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JESSICA TORRES WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM. AND THEN ALSO FIRE. THEY PUT TOGETHER A REEL. I GUESS THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS THAT CAME IN FROM THE COMMUNITY REGARDING THE NEW SPEED BUMPS THAT WE HAVE IN CERTAIN AREAS, AND THEY WENT AHEAD AND PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE CLIP TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY. JUST, YOU KNOW, HERE ARE MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH, LIKE, YOU KNOW, BE CAREFUL, YOU THINK THEY DON'T MATTER, BUT THOSE THINGS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I ACTUALLY DID DRIVE THROUGH SOME OF THEM A LITTLE FAST, BUT BUT THAT'S OKAY. I LEARNED, BUT JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR FOR PUTTING THAT INFORMATION OUT BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT WAY TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY. IF WE CAN'T DO IT ONE ON ONE, YOU KNOW, IN PERSON ALL THE TIME. SOME PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD WAY TO SHARE WITH THEM. AND THEN I DID ATTEND THE SHADY LANE MOBILE HOME PARK RIBBON CUTTING. I THINK THAT WAS YESTERDAY. LOSE TRACK OF MY DAYS. BUT IT WAS IT WAS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE EVENT BECAUSE WE OFTEN GET A LOT OF INFORMATION,

[03:05:01]

EMAILS AND WHATNOT OF WHAT IT TAKES TO HELP A COMMUNITY OR A MOBILE HOME PARK AND THE PARTNERSHIPS AND ALL OF THAT. IT'S ONE THING TO READ IT, IT'S ANOTHER TO SEE IT. AND I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO CARITAS, WHO'S A NONPROFIT THAT TOOK THIS PROJECT ON, ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS, INCLUDING THE CITY OF COACHELLA. SO IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EVENT, AND IT WAS NICE TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY ITSELF. THEY WERE NOT SHY. THEY WENT UP THERE, THEY GOT THE MIC. THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 36 YEARS.

THEY SHARED, YOU KNOW, HOW THE CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED SO DRASTICALLY, HOW IT LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER. THEY HAVE WATER, THEY HAVE SEWER, THEY HAVE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AMENITIES.

AND THAT PARTNERSHIP AND HEARING FROM THEM, IT MADE IT MADE A BIG IMPACT. AND I THINK IT'S IT'S REALLY, IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO SEE ALL THE COLLABORATION FROM ALL OF THE AGENCIES, EVEN THE STATE WATER BOARD, EVERYONE JUST COMING TOGETHER AND BEING ABLE TO, TO BE ABLE TO HELP THESE FAMILIES. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. I THINK THEY GET TO MOVE IN PRETTY SOON, MOST OF THEM. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FROM THEM. AND THEN ALSO THE MOBILE HOME PARK RIGHT NEXT TO THEM. AMESCUA THERE THEY WERE PRESENT BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT ONCE THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN ONE MOBILE HOME PARK, IF YOU'RE CLOSE BY, CHANCES ARE YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE SAME IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL, AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TO HELP THEM TOO. SO IT WAS REALLY NICE TO CONNECT WITH THEM TOO. JUST WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT. I KNOW I SAID A LOT REGARDING THE THE CITY MANAGER APPOINTMENT TODAY. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO TAKE THAT OFF OF THE LIST AND GO ON TO THE NEXT ALL OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT TODAY. AND THAT'S THAT'S OKAY FOR NOW. WE DO HAVE OUR INTERIM AND I HOPE THAT HE DECIDES TO CONTINUE TO TO BE WITH US AND TO MOVE FORWARD. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS THAT PERHAPS ARE ARE OUT THERE THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF. BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE IS SOMETHING I JUST I JUST WANT TO SEE THE CITY MOVE FORWARD IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. AND I DO WANT TO ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID EARLIER, THEY MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT IS VERY, VERY TRUE. WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO GET IT RIGHT. THAT'S TRUE. IF WE'RE WE'RE NOT MACHINES, WE'RE NOT COMPUTERS. WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS AND WE MAKE MISTAKES.

AND THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY. WE CAN MAKE A MISTAKE TOMORROW. YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE APPRECIATE THE GRACE THAT YOU GIVE US AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH US. WE APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME OUT TODAY THAT SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS. I HOPE THAT YOU ALL KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT ISN'T THAT WE DON'T WANT TO COMMENT ON EVERYTHING YOU POINT OUT. IT'S IT HAS TO BE ON THE AGENDA FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. AND SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT COMING BACK. AND I SUPPORT THAT, THAT CONVERSATION AND HEARING MORE FROM YOU ALL. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT IS HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENERGY, AND THANK YOU FOR LOVING OUR CITY AND WORKING WITH US EVERY DAY. YOU ARE WHAT MOVES COACHELLA FORWARD. AND AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN BERGEN, I'M JUST GOING TO HAVE SOME COMMENTS. FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW WE HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ON THE MAYOR APPOINTMENT. AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE. BUT I DO AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN DELGADO, AND I HOPE THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE CAN ALL JUST MOVE PAST THE EVERY OTHER SHADOW IN THE DUST AND REALLY COME TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT APPOINTMENT, WE COME TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE A DECISION THAT IS COHESIVE ON IT AND PROCESS. ALL OF US CAN COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT AND RALLY TOGETHER ON IT AND REALLY COME TOGETHER AS A COUNCIL. WE'VE HAD A ROUGH LAST COUPLE OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST BEEN AN INTERESTING LAST YEAR AND A HALF AND REALLY LOOKING AT THAT AND HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD AND AND YOU KNOW, I THINK COUNCILWOMAN PEREZ ON ON THE SUPPORT ON THAT ITEM OF THE MORATORIUM AND REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW I AM GOING TO CALL THE MAYOR, THE CITY MANAGER, AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM. AND WHAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THEN HOPEFULLY HE FOLLOWS UP WITH THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THEIR IDEAS. BECAUSE I THINK IF THERE'S THREE, THEN WE ALL NEED NEED TO HAVE OUR INPUT IDEAS OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT COHESIVENESS. IS THAT A BROWN ACT VIOLATION THOUGH? IF WE DO. OH NO, NOT YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S ALL I NEED TO MAKE SURE

[03:10:04]

THAT. CAN HE TALK TO THEM ABOUT STUFF, NOT TALK TO ME. I DON'T NEED TO KNOW. YOU AND I DID THE MOTION A SECOND. SO ME AND YOU CAN MEET WITH HIM THEN. OKAY. THEN ME AND COUNCILWOMAN DELGADO WILL MEET WITH THE CITY MANAGER IN THE NEXT SCHEDULE, A ZOOM MEETING OR A MEETING WITH HIM IN PERSON. SO HOPEFULLY WE COULD DO THAT. SO THE LAST I DID GO TO THE RIBBON CUTTING YESTERDAY. AND THERE WAS A RESIDENT THAT LIVES THAT HAS LIVED IN THAT TRAILER MOBILE HOME PARK FOR 33 PLUS YEARS, HE TOLD ME. AND WE WERE SITTING THERE AND HE TOLD US, I MOVED HERE WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE US, AND THIS IS WHERE I'VE CALLED HOME SINCE THEN. AND THEY ARE OF THE, YOU KNOW, OLDER AGE. THEY'RE RETIRED AND NOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY RETIREMENT IN A BRAND NEW MOBILE HOME THAT HAS A RENT CONTROL. AND THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THINGS THAT THEY NEED. RIGHT. AND THE ONE THING I TOLD THE CITY MANAGER WHEN I WALKED IN, THEY HAVE CENTRAL AC UNIT IN THESE MOBILE HOMES. AND IF YOU. I GREW UP IN A MOBILE HOME ON CORKY LARSON'S FARM ON AVENUE 56 AIRPORT BOULEVARD, AND WE HAD A SWAMP COOLER AND MY GRANDMA HAD HER GOMAIL AND SHE AND ALL THE PEOPLE WOULD COME INTO THAT, THAT THE HER LITTLE TRAILER AND, AND EVERYONE WOULD GET TACOS AND BURRITOS BECAUSE SHE MADE THE BEST FOOD. AND, YOU KNOW, MY GRANDMA STILL ALIVE. SO I'D LIKE TO ENJOY SOME OF HER FOOD BECAUSE SHE MAKES THE BEST MOLE IN TOWN. SO, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK REALLY JUST REITERATING TO THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME TODAY AND, AND SAYING, WE LISTEN, WE'RE HERE AND IT'S, IT'S AN ONGOING COMPONENT. AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO MR. CITY MANAGER AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE. MY FATHER DIED ALMOST FOUR YEARS AGO IN OCTOBER. HIS BIRTHDAY IS ON NEXT FRIDAY. AND SO I WOULD LOVE IF WE CAN CLOSE THIS MEETING IN HIS HONOR, BECAUSE THE ONE PERSON IN LIFE I CAN'T ENJOY TODAY IS WITH HIM. SO YOU'RE THE FLOOR IS YOURS. UNLESS THERE'S DIRECTOR REPORTS. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. JUST TODAY WE TALKED INTERNALLY AT THE STAFF LEVEL AND IN RESPONSE TO THE PREVIOUS DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL, BECAUSE IT WASN'T A FORMAL MOTION, BECAUSE IT WAS DONE UNDER COUNCIL COMMENTS. SO IT WASN'T AN ACTUAL DIRECTION IN TERMS OF MOTION POLICY DIRECTION. HOWEVER, WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH IT AND WE'RE PLANNING A COMMUNITY WORKSHOP INFORMATIONAL ON NOT JUST THIS DATA CENTER, BUT WHAT THE P3 ENTAILS, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S MORE THAN JUST A DATA CENTER. THERE'S THIS WHOLE PARTNERSHIP AND THE HISTORY AS TO WHY THE CITY WENT DOWN THIS ENDEAVOR IN TERMS OF CREATING A UTILITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE POWER BECAUSE ID CURRENTLY DOESN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT CAPACITY. THAT'S THE ORIGIN OF WHERE THIS STARTED. SO WE'RE PLANNING THAT FOR MONDAY, MAY 11TH, WHICH IS RIGHT BEFORE THE 13TH. THAT WAY, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PROVIDE COMMENT. WE'LL HAVE STAFF PRESENTATIONS FROM CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, FROM THE P3 PARTNERS STRONGHOLD, TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME MORE INFORMATION VERSUS THE MISINFORMATION THAT'S BEING CIRCULATED OUT IN THE PUBLIC AND SOCIAL MEDIA. SO THAT IS MAY 11TH. AND TO YOUR DIRECTION, THAT COUNCIL GAVE STAFF HAS FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THAT. OKAY. SO WE'LL BE MESSAGING THAT OUT AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE DATE VIA OUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. FIRST OF ALL, AS YOU KNOW, I'M A RETIRED CITY MANAGER. I GOT ALMOST 30 YEARS AS A CITY MANAGER, 20 OF THOSE.

AND FOR DIFFERENT CITIES. I'VE BEEN A FINANCE DIRECTOR, I'VE BEEN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.

I'VE HAD A A VERY ACCOMPLISHED CAREER AND NEVER HAS MY INTEGRITY BEEN QUESTIONED. OKAY.

AND SO WHEN I CAME TO COACHELLA, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT COACHELLA IN TERMS OF THAT. YOU GUYS WERE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY. HEADHUNTER CALLED ME UP AND SAID, HEY, I WAS FINISHING UP AN INTERIM CITY MANAGER ASSIGNMENT WITH THE CITY OF LYNNWOOD. AFTER THREE AND A HALF MONTHS, THAT ASSIGNMENT CAME DOWN. AS A RETIREE, WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO INTERIM ASSIGNMENTS UP TO 960 HOURS IN THE FISCAL YEAR. SO AS A RETIREE, I HAVE FUN DOING INTERIM ASSIGNMENTS. AND SO WHEN I CAME HERE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE INTERIM ASSIGNMENT. I WAS CONTACTED BY A HEADHUNTER AND SAID, HEY, THERE'S AN OPENING IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED? I LIVE IN SAN MARCOS, SAN DIEGO AREA NEAR MY DAUGHTER, MY GRANDSON, MY FAMILY IS THERE. AND SO COMING HERE, IT'S WITHIN A TWO HOUR DRIVE. I SAID, SURE, NO PROBLEM. YOU KNOW WHAT COULD BE ANOTHER FUN ASSIGNMENT? OKAY, I HAD NO INTENTION OF COMING OUT OF RETIREMENT. I'M VERY CONTENT, VERY HAPPY IN RETIREMENT, SPENDING TIME WITH MY GRANDSON, WITH MY FAMILY, ENJOYING THE SAN DIEGO WEATHER. NO OFFENSE TO COACHELLA VALLEY, BUT I'LL TAKE 70 DEGREE WEATHER TO 115 WEATHER ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.

ALL RIGHT. NO OFFENSE. AND SO TO THAT END, SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT UP PUBLICLY, I'M GOING

[03:15:05]

TO WITHDRAW FROM THE CITY MANAGER POSITION. I'M NOT GOING TO GET INVOLVED IN ANY POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT'S GOING HERE. RIGHT. I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT A CITY MANAGER HAS A CHOICE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO, RIGHT? JUST LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL. WE WORK AT THE PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL. BUT I HAVE CHOICES TOO. OKAY. AS A PROFESSIONAL CITY MANAGER, I HAVE CHOICES. I CAN STAY RETIRED. I CAN GO LOOK FOR ANOTHER CITY. VERY MARKETABLE.

SO I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. WE CAN TALK ABOUT TRANSITION. OKAY. AS A RETIREE, I THINK I HAVE ABOUT 200 HOURS LEFT IN THAT 960 WHEN I CAME HERE, I TOLD YOU TWO THINGS. ONE, KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING FOR THE ORGANIZATION. YOU HAVE A GREAT TEAM AND THE STAFF, RIGHT? WE DID AN EMPLOYEE SURVEY. WE GOT SOME GOOD COMMENTS BACK. SO YOU HAVE A GREAT ORGANIZATION. I FEEL BAD FOR THEM REALLY, BECAUSE OF ALL THE POLITICS THAT'S GOING ON HERE. OKAY. A LOT OF POTENTIAL AS A CITY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, RIGHT? A LOT. I FELT LIKE I COULD MAKE SOME CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STAFF, THE ORGANIZATION, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO LET MY INTEGRITY GET QUESTIONED. OKAY. AND SO I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST WE CAN TALK TRANSITION. BUT I AM FORMALLY WITHDRAWING FROM THE CITY MANAGER CANDIDACY. STAY RETIRED. GO DO INTERIM ASSIGNMENTS AS TIME CALLS. I HAVE MY OWN CONSULTING BUSINESS THAT I DO DURING THE DAY, AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT PUBLICLY. IT WAS BROUGHT UP. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE INTERIM BASIS. THANK YOU, MR. GONZALEZ. AND WITH THAT, IF THERE IS NO OTHER ITEM, WE'LL ADJOURN AT 9:14 P.M. IN HONOR

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

Apr 22, 2026 City Council Meetings

Link

Social

Embed

Download

Download Selected Item