May 27, 2026 City Council Meetings

[Call to Order]

[00:00:09]

THE CITY OF COACHELLA CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION AND REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA. THE COUNCIL SITTING AS AT COACHELLA SANITARY DISTRICT, COACHELLA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, COACHELLA FINANCING AUTHORITY, COACHELLA EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT ACCESS, CABLE CHANNEL CORPORATION. COACHELLA WATER AUTHORITY, SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE COACHELLA REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND THE COACHELLA PARKS AND RECREATION FOUNDATION. THE TIME IS 5:00 AND TODAY IS MAY 27TH, 2026. PUBLIC COMMENTS CAN BE DONE EITHER IN PERSON, VIA EMAIL OR VIA ZOOM. UTILIZING THE ZOOM RAISE HAND FUNCTION. ONE COMMENT I DO WANT TO MAKE.

MR. MANAGER. MAKING SURE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE ON THE WAITING ROOM ON ZOOM TO MAKE SURE YOU ADMIT THEM INSIDE, JUST KEEPING PERIODICALLY CHECKING ON THE ZOOM WAITING ROOM. SO MAKE SURE WE LET THEM INSIDE. LET THE ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ.

COUNCILMEMBER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DELGADO HERE. MAYOR FIGUEROA, HI HERE. AND THEN

[Approval of Agenda]

COUNCIL MEMBER. DELGADO. YES. MAYOR. DOCTOR FIGUEROA I OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO PUBLIC

[Public Comments (Closed Session Items)]

HOWEVER, HE WAS GOING TO BE USING HIS OWN CAR. HE WAS GOING TO BE DRIVING. HE DROVE HIMSELF TWO HOURS TO COME TO OUR MEETINGS. HE WOULD STAY IN THE AREA TO KEEP HIMSELF HERE.

HOWEVER, OUR NEW CITY MANAGER WANTS A CAR NOT ONLY FOR CITY USE BUT INCIDENTAL PERSONAL USE AS WELL. HOW MANY OF YOU GET A VEHICLE TO GO TO YOUR JOB THAT GETS PAID FOR WITH GAS, WITH INSURANCE, THE $500 THAT WE GIVE A MONTH AND A STIPEND IS PERFECT. EITHER THAT TAKES YOUR CAR PAYMENT OFF OF YOUR ISSUE, OR IT TAKES YOUR GAS PAYMENT OFF OF YOUR BUDGET ISSUES. BUT NOBODY ELSE IN THIS CITY, NOBODY ELSE IN THIS AREA, EXPECTS WHEN THEY GO APPLY FOR MCDONALD'S, WHEN THEY GO, APPLY FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD WHEN THEY GO, APPLY AS A TEACHER. WHEN THEY GO. APPLY AS A LAWYER, DO THEY EXPECT TO GET A VEHICLE? SO WHY WOULD OUR CITY MANAGER NEED ONE? KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU'RE DISCUSSING THIS IN PRIVATE SESSION. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS FRANCISCO MOLINA. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS FRANKIE. I'M A RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER. I'M NOTING FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD THAT REPRESENTATIVES OF STRONGHOLD POWER SYSTEMS ARE PRESENT TONIGHT FOR THE CLOSED SESSION. THAT MEANS STRONGHOLD IS A PARTY TO LITIGATION THAT THIS COUNCIL IS ABOUT TO DISCUSS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS LITIGATION CONNECTED TO AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS APPROVED UNDER DOCUMENTED CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, INCLUDING SO MUCH MORE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. BUT THAT'S FOR ANOTHER CONVERSATION.

THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW. IS THE CITY DEFENDING THIS AGREEMENT OR UNWINDING IT? BECAUSE IF THE CITY IS SPENDING PUBLIC MONEY DEFENDING A CONTRACT THAT WAS APPROVED IN VIOLATION OF GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 1090, CALIFORNIA RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT RULE

[00:05:03]

ALSO, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A NOTE. WHEN WE COME BACK FROM CLOSED SESSION, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE RULES OF CONDUCT AS WELL. WHEN I COME BACK SO THAT PEOPLE DO HAVE THE RULES OF CONTACT, THE CITY CLERK HAS LEFT THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE A KEEP IT CLEAN, DON'T THREATEN OR ABUSE. BE TRUTHFUL WITH RESPECT TO BE NICE, BE POSITIVE, CONCISE AND DIRECT. AND OF COURSE WE CAN. MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE RESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE'S TIMES AND THEIR COMMENTS. AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYBODY WHO WILL MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT THIS LATER THIS EVENING TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE GETS THEIR FAIR TIME, BECAUSE THE TIMER WON'T STOP WHEN SOMEONE INTERRUPTS SOMEONE ELSE. SO ENSURING THAT WE DO THAT CLAPPING DOES. I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALLOWED THE CLAPPING PREVIOUSLY, BUT CLAPPING DOES INTERFERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A OF A COMMENT. SO IF IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO GET THEIR FULL COMMENT, WE'LL REITERATE THE POLICY ON CLAPPING. YOU CAN HAVE OTHER MECHANISMS, BUT A NOISE DOES

[Adjourn to Closed Session]

[Reconvene Regular Meeting]

[Closed Session Announcements]

CORRECT.

[00:10:18]

[Additional Item]

OKAY. SO THAT WILL BE MOVING ITEM 18 TO RIGHT AFTER ITEMS FIVE AND SIX. WE CAN MOVE THAT DOWN SO WE CAN MOVE 19 OUT OF 21 OKAY. AND THEN WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MOVE. 19 TO AFTER. 21.

SO. WITH THAT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. GO AHEAD. AND SECOND, THERE'S A FIRST AND THEN A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION. IN A SECOND I'LL TAKE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER.

PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. DELGADO. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER I MAYOR FIGUEROA I MOTION PASSES.

[Proclamations/Presentations]

COUNCILMAN PARIS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THE PROCLAMATION, AND WE'LL ALL JOIN YOU IN THE PALM.

OKAY. THE CITY OF COACHELLA PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS THE CITY, THE COACHELLA VALLEY YOUTH LEADERSHIP GAINED THEIR NONPROFIT STATUS IN AUGUST OF 2023. WHEREAS AT COACHELLA VALLEY YOUTH LEADERSHIP, THEIR MISSION TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH MENTORING, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, COACHELLA VALLEY YOUTH LEADERSHIP SERVES COACHELLA YOUTH FOCUSED ON MENTORING, HEALTHY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY, INDIO JUVENILE HALL AND IN SCHOOLS. CVYL WAS AWARDED THE COMMUNITY DELINQUENCY PREVENTION AWARD FROM THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION COMMISSION ON MAY 14TH, 2026.

WHEREAS, CVYL IS DEDICATED TO WORKING WITH RIVERSIDE COUNTY PROBATION BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF COACHELLA VALLEY, THE WRAP FOUNDATION, KIDS IN IN CONFLICT, NEIGHBORHOOD COLLEGE, NATIONAL CENTER FOR YOUTH LAW AND OTHER CBOS ON JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION. AND NOW, THEREFORE, MAYOR FRANK FIGUEROA AND THE CITY COUNCIL. COACHELLA, BY THE POWER INVESTED IN US, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE COACHELLA VALLEY YOUTH LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION AND URGE ALL CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA. AND JOINING ME TO COMMEMORATE THEIR COMMITMENT TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU GUYS. SO I'M GOING TO TURN AND FACE YOU GUYS. I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. TRINI, RAY, JOSE, ALFREDO AND JAVIER.

THANK YOU GUYS. WE NEED YOU GUYS. WE NEED A LOT OF MENTORSHIP. I KNOW THAT YOUR GUYS'S HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO THESE YOUTH HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO ATTEND YOUR GUYS'S GRADUATION, ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS WITH THE THE THINGS THAT OUR YOUTH IS GOING THROUGH, THE VIOLENCE, THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, YOU KNOW, THE LACK OF GUIDANCE. THEY NEED YOU GUYS, OKAY? WE NEED TO SHOW OUR YOUTH THAT THEIR PAST ISN'T DEFINED.

THEIR FUTURE ISN'T DEFINED BY THEIR PAST. SO PLEASE DON'T STOP DOING WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. WE REALLY NEED YOU. THANK YOU FOR WORKING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WISH YOU GUYS THE BEST. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, THE CITY OF COACHELLA, THE MAYOR AND EVERYBODY, THE TEAM FOR JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO

[00:15:04]

MUCHAS GRACIAS POR TODOS. WE'RE HERE TO WORK HARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE BETTER, HELPING ONE INDIVIDUAL AT A TIME. MUCHAS GRACIAS. WELL, THANK YOU, COUNCIL, FOR THIS RECOGNITION AS WE HAVE JUST FORMED AND WE'RE GETTING STARTED, WE ARE HAVING OUR SECOND GRADUATION COMING UP ON JUNE 26TH. WE'RE NEVER HERE ACROSS THE WAY, HOPEFULLY ACROSS FROM THE LIBRARY. AND WE INVITE YOU ALL TO JOIN US TO SEE THE SECOND COHORT OF OUR YOUNG MEN GO THROUGH THE RITES OF PASSAGE THAT ARE WE GOING. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DINNER HERE HOSTED NEXT DOOR. SO YOU GUYS ARE INVITED. AND THANK YOU TO THE GUYS WHO DO THE REAL WORK. AND THAT WILL CONTINUE. THANK YOU. JUST FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS AT THE SCHOOL SITES AT TIMES. WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE THE THE WARM ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU PROVIDE FOR THESE KIDS, THE MENTORSHIP, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME HARD TIMES THAT THEY GO THROUGH AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THAT WITH THEIR PARENTS OR, OR WITH FRIENDS. AND SO HAVING THIS SAFE SPACE, THIS SPACE WHERE THEY KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRIVATE. AND THEN THAT CONVERSATION AND SUPPORT IS, IS WHAT THEY NEED AT THAT TIME.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN'T WAIT. SO WHEN YOU'RE THERE AT THAT TIME, AVAILABLE AT THAT SPOT, IT DOES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND THEY WERE RECOGNIZED AT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING IN RIVERSIDE BY THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT. AND WE WENT AND WE TOOK SOME GREAT PICTURES AND IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK BECAUSE SOMETIMES THOSE THE YOUNG ONES, THEY HAVE THAT PATH. YOU'RE THEIR MENTOR, YOU'RE THERE. AND THE MENTORING GOES A LONG WAY BECAUSE EVEN AFTER THEY'RE DONE WITH YOUR PROGRAM, THEY'RE GOING TO REMEMBER HE'S THE ONE THAT PUT ME THROUGH THERE AND HE'S GOING TO REMEMBER AND THEN PASS THAT ON TO THE NEXT INDIVIDUALS. AND FOR THAT, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK YOU GUYS DO. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. AND THEN THAT WAY WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE WITH ALL OF US HERE IN THE IN THE CENTER.

OKAY. WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU GUYS. APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND NEXT WE'LL HAVE SO WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION AND PROCLAMATION OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL IN TOP TEN FOR COACHELLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. AND THEIR NAMES ARE AS FOLLOWS. ADRIANNA GONZALEZ ARIAS, JACOB GONZALEZ, JACOB GONZALEZ, JESUS GONZALEZ, GIOVANNI LOPEZ RAMIREZ, MATTHEW. SANCHEZ, MAITE. CERVANTES. GONZALEZ, MELANIE RODRIGUEZ, OBADIAH. ORTEGA. RODRIGUEZ, PRISCILA. NAVARRO. EXCUSE ME. MELISSA. OKAY. ORTIZ. ARENAS.

AND IF THEY CAN COME AND JOIN US, AND THEN WE'LL READ THE PROCLAMATION THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL WILL BE GETTING TODAY. AND WE ALSO HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND CABINET STAFF AS WELL HERE TODAY, THE WORK THAT THEY DO, RIGHT. IT'S A FOUR YEAR LONG JOURNEY IN HIGH SCHOOL TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP 11, TOP TEN. AND SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE CITY COLLABORATED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND WE HAD A BILLBOARD ON CESAR CHAVEZ AND AND GRAPEFRUIT, WHERE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE TOP 11 STUDENTS.

AND I WILL READ THE PROCLAMATION. AND THEN THERE'S ONE MORE AFTER THAT. SO THE CITY OF COACHELLA. CITY OF COACHELLA, CALIFORNIA PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS THE COACHELLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL TOP TEN HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, DEDICATION AND PERSEVERANCE THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY AT COACHELLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL. AND WHEREAS, THROUGH HARD WORK, LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE, THEY HAVE EARNED RECOGNITION AS ONE OF THE TOP TEN STUDENTS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2026. AND WHEREAS THEY HAVE POSSIBLY REPRESENTED COACHELLA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH ACADEMIC SUCCESS, INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND DEDICATION TO FUTURE GOALS AND ASPIRATION. AND WHEREAS THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THEM REFLECT THE SUPPORT OF FAMILY, TEACHER COUNSELORS, MENTORS, AND THE BROADER SCHOOL COMMUNITY WHO HAVE HELPED GUIDE THEM, ENCOURAGE THEIR SUCCESS. AND WHEREAS THE TOP TEN AS AN

[00:20:04]

COACHELLA.

AND THEN THEY'RE ALL THEY'RE ALL ADVOCATES OF. DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE MORE PROCLAMATION TO READ. THAT'S FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. DO YOU WANT TO READ IT? AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE. WE DO HAVE ONE FOR THE DISTRICT AS WELL. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ.

WHEREAS COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT SUPPORT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, LEADERSHIP, INNOVATION, STUDENT SUCCESS. AND WHEREAS, THROUGH THE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS, STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CONTINUES TO CREATE SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE STUDENTS ARE EMPOWERED TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL. AND WHEREAS THE DISTRICT PROVIDES A WIDE RANGE OF ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, ARTISTIC, AND CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT PREPARE STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE CAREERS, LEADERSHIP, AND LIFELONG SUCCESS. AND WHEREAS, COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REMAINS COMMITTED TO FOSTERING EXCELLENCE, EQUITY, AND MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS WHILE STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS WITH FAMILIES AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS THE DISTRICT'S DEDICATION TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE CITY OF COACHELLA AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION, SERVICE AND OPPORTUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, I. FRANK FIGUEROA, MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA, BY THE POWER VESTED IN US, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THIS AND FOR RECOGNIZING OUR CHAMPIONS. WE CONTINUE TO CALL THEM CHAMPIONS. THEY STARTED WITH US AS CHAMPIONS. THEY'RE LEAVING US AS CHAMPIONS, AND THEY'LL BE BACK AS CHAMPIONS. AND I JUST WANT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM TO TELL YOU WHAT UNIVERSITY THEY'RE GOING TO. SO MY NAME IS JOHNNY LOPEZ AND I'LL BE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE. MY NAME IS ABDULLAH ORTEGA, ■AND I'LL BE ATTENDING UC BERKELEY. MY NAME IS AMELIA AND I WILL ALSO BE ATTENDING UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE. MY NAME IS MATTHEW SANCHEZ, AND I'LL BE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE AS WELL. MY NAME IS JACOB GONZALEZ, AND I'LL BE ATTENDING BIOLA UNIVERSITY. MY NAME IS YARELI ORTIZ ARENAS, AND I WILL BE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY. MY NAME IS PRISCILA NAVARRO, AND I'LL BE ATTENDING UC SAN DIEGO. MY NAME IS MAYA CERVANTES GONZALEZ AND I WILL BE ATTENDING UC IRVINE. MY NAME IS ARIANA GONZALEZ AND I'LL BE STAYING IN THE VALLEY AT CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR

[00:25:01]

SO BUT ANTEATERS ALL THE WAY. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THEM. AND YOU KNOW I I'M A OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO WENT TO CITY HIGH SCHOOL. BUT YOU KNOW ONE THING I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ARAB.

AND I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT RECOGNIZING YOU ALL WHO ARE THE NEXT GENERATION, YOU ALL WHO ARE NEXT GOING TO SIT UP HERE AND HAVE TO MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS. SO AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEXT CHAPTER IN LIFE. AND REMEMBER THAT COACHELLA IS ALWAYS HOME. AND WHEREVER YOU GO, THIS IS WHERE IT IS. AND THIS IS WHERE WE START AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE FROM. SO HAVE A NICE REST OF YOUR EVENING. CONGRATULATIONS. I'M SURE A FEW WORDS JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE STUDENTS AND TO THE DISTRICT. YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY WORKED VERY HARD TO BE WHERE YOU'RE AT, AND YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING OFF TO VERY GREAT SCHOOLS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO FACE A LOT OF CHALLENGES. I WANT TO TELL YOU ONE THING THAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE HEARD WHEN I WAS IN YOUR SHOES IS GIVE YOURSELF A LOT OF GRACE. I THINK A LOT OF YOU PERHAPS MIGHT STILL BE FIRST GENERATION. I WAS WHEN I WAS ENTERING SCHOOL, I WAS THE FIRST ONE IN MY FAMILY TO GRADUATE, AND IT BECAME A LITTLE BIT OF A STRUGGLE AND A CHALLENGE THAT I DIDN'T HAVE SOMEBODY IN MY FAMILY TO KIND OF GO TO AND HELP NAVIGATE THE WORLD OF, OF SCHOOL, OF COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY. SO GIVE YOURSELF A LOT OF GRACE, BE VERY PATIENT WITH YOURSELF AND REMIND YOURSELF THAT IF YOU'RE THE FIRST ONE, IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE TOUGHEST. BUT YOU KNOW, FUTURE GENERATIONS AFTER YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER. SO JUST REMEMBER WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING, REMIND YOURSELF I'M THE FIRST ONE IS GIVE YOURSELF A LOT OF GRACE. OKAY. WITH THAT. THANK, THANK YOU WITH THAT. AND WE'LL TAKE ONE MORE GROUP PICTURE AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE ON.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY. SO WE WILL MOVE ON AS PEOPLE CLEAR OUT THE ROOM. WE DID MOVE ITEM NUMBER 18.

WHICH. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON. AS WE DID TALK ABOUT, WE MOVED

[New Business Calendar (Legislative and Administrative) (Part 1 of 2)]

[00:30:04]

STRONGHOLD POWER WAS SELECTED AS THE CITY'S P3 PARTNER, MOST RECENTLY, IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE CITY ENTERED INTO A MUNICIPAL UTILITY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD. THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT COVERS DISTINCT AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR STRONGHOLD, WHICH IS THE TURNKEY PROVIDER FOR THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY. THOSE AREAS INCLUDE INITIAL DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND A PERMITTING STAGE, CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION, THE ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT OF ENERGY TO SERVE CUSTOMERS IN THOSE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CITY, AND THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. AND FINALLY, ALL OF THAT WOULD BE FINANCED AT THE EXPENSE OF STRONGHOLD.

THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT CONTEMPLATES A ONE YEAR DEVELOPMENT PERIOD, DURING WHICH TIME CERTAIN CONDITIONS MUST BE COMPLETED TO THE REASONABLE SATISFACTION OF THE CITY BY STRONGHOLD. STRONGHOLD THEN ISSUES A NOTICE THAT IT IS READY TO PROCEED, AND AT THAT TIME THE CITY RETAINS THE RIGHT NOT TO ISSUE A NOTICE TO PROCEED UPON ITS REVIEW DURING THAT CONCLUSION. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE DEVELOPMENT PERIOD, MOST RECENTLY, EARLIER THIS MONTH, STRONGHOLD DID SEND A LETTER TO THE CITY SEEKING WRITTEN ASSURANCES THAT THE CITY WAS STILL INTENDING TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT ONGOING EXPENDITURES THAT STRONGHOLD IS SPENDING. IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY. AND WITH THAT, THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION.

THIS IS JUST A DISCUSSION ITEM FOR COUNCIL AND TO PROVIDE ANY RECOMMENDATION OR ANY DIRECTION AS YOU SEE FIT WITH THAT, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CITY ATTORNEY? NONE. WE USUALLY HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST, BUT WE HAVE HAD MEETINGS AND PEOPLE HAVE COME IN AND VOICED A CONCERN, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ARE REALLY WAITING IN THIS ROOM, WAITING FOR US TO TALK BACK AND KNOW OUR VIEWPOINT. AND SO I THINK WITH THAT, WE WILL HAVE MR. CITY, WE'LL HAVE COUNCIL DISCUSSION WITH NO ACTION UNTIL AFTER PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE MADE. AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL START WITH COUNCILWOMAN BEACON. THANK YOU.

AND JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, WE ARE WE ARE TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT. WE WILL BE HEARING PUBLIC COMMENTS. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STATE THAT. I AM GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION. I DO WISH THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THIS A LOT SOONER, BUT NONETHELESS, I WANT TO SHARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS REGARDING EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING. AND I'LL START OFF WITH THE MOST RECENT ITEMS THAT THAT HAPPENED. THERE WAS A PRESS RELEASE THAT WENT OUT. THERE WAS TEXT MESSAGING THAT WENT OUT, AND THERE WAS ALSO A WEBSITE THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WAS ALSO CREATED. I WANT TO SHARE THAT THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS EXPRESSED TO US AS COUNCIL. WE WERE I WILL SPEAK FOR MYSELF. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A PRESS RELEASE. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A WEBSITE. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE TEXT MESSAGING ALL GOING OUT AND I'LL LEAVE IT THERE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE COMMUNITY FELT WHEN THEY WENT AHEAD AND SAW ALL OF THAT, WITHOUT FIRST HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM US. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN WANTING TO HEAR FROM US, AND THAT'S WHY I'M GLAD WE'RE HAVING THIS MEETING RIGHT NOW. AND WE HAVE THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA. I HAVE BEEN I WENT TO THE TOWN HALL. I ATTENDED THAT MEETING. I LISTENED TO THE COMMENTS, KNOW THAT WE READ THE COMMENTS. I READ THE COMMENTS THAT YOU GUYS SENT IN VIA EMAIL AND WE OR I AM CONDUCTING RESEARCH. I'M SURE THE COUNCIL IS DOING THAT AS WELL. WE'RE

[00:35:05]

COUNCILWOMAN PEREZ YES, WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL COUNCIL MEETINGS IN WHICH OUR RESIDENTS HAVE COME AND SPOKEN. I DO SEE YOU. I DO HEAR YOU. THIS ISN'T EVEN HALF OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED IN REGARDS TO THIS ITEM. THEY HAVE SPOKEN. YOU GUYS HAVE SPOKEN ON YOUR VIEWS ON HOW YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT THIS ITEM, AND I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMMENTS AGAINST THIS ITEM, AND THIS IS COMING FROM OUR RESIDENTS, SOME FROM COACHELLA, SOME FROM THERMAL, SOME FROM INDIA, SOME FROM SKY VALLEY. BUT I HAVE YET TO SEE A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA OR THERMAL OR INDIO, LA QUINTA, SKY VALLEY COME AND SAY, THIS IS A GOOD THING. THIS IS WHAT IT'S BRINGING TO OUR CITY. THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO ACCOMPLISH. I HAVE YET TO SEE THAT. SO I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT I SEE YOU AND I HEAR YOU GUYS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. COUNCILWOMAN VEGA, I'M GOING TO WAIT FOR FOR MY COMMENTS AT THE END. AND THAT'S BECAUSE DURING THIS TIME THAT I CAN'T PROVIDE ANY ACTION OR DIRECTION. AND SO MY COMMENTS WILL BE AT THE END WHEN I CAN GIVE IT. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I THINK FOR MYSELF, WITHOUT ANY.

THIS IS. IT. BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, BLINDED BY LAW, I CAN'T SAY WHAT I FEEL AND IT'S HARD, RIGHT. AND I UNDERSTAND COUNCILWOMAN DELGADO'S PUT ON THAT NOT WANTING TO MAKE COMMENTS. AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. RIGHT. IS OUR ECHO COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ NO ONE SAYS HAS SAID, YEAH, THIS WATER THIS IS GOING TO SAY YES OR NO. AND I THINK NO ONE NO ONE HAS SAID YES TO KEEP THIS DATA CENTER. AND IT'S LIKE, THE BIG THING IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND READING AND SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, I REWATCHED THE MOVIE ERIN BROCKOVICH THIS WEEKEND. AND WHEN I FIRST WATCHED THAT MOVIE, RIGHT, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF. AND, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO REWATCH IT AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THAT FIGHT? WHAT WAS THAT FIGHT ABOUT? RIGHT. AND YOU KNOW, LOOK NOW AND ERIN BROCKOVICH IS BACK AND CREATED HER OWN WEBSITE ON REFERRING WHAT DATA CENTERS ARE BEING BUILT AND WHAT STAGES THEY'RE AT BEING PROPOSED, AND WHAT IS THAT CAUSE GOING TO DO ON WATER. WE RECENTLY SAW COUNT CONGRESSWOMAN OCASIO-CORTEZ AND CONGRESS SHOWED THE WATER. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A DATA CENTER COMES? AND I THINK THAT'S SOME OF THE REFLECTION, RIGHT? AS WE'RE SEEING WHAT IS GOING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHAT CAN GO

[00:40:01]

AND, AND I THINK THERE'S PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS. RIGHT. AND I THINK THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT GOING FURTHER ABOUT ANY DISCUSSION, JUST WANTED TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT, THAT I DO HEAR INDIVIDUALS. AND I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS LISTENING AND DOING OUR RESEARCH, AND WE'LL HAVE AN OPEN PUBLIC COMMENTS SHORTLY SO THAT WE CAN START PREPARING FOR THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE CONTINUED DISCUSSION AFTERWARDS AS WELL. SO WITH THAT, IT IS 6:36 P.M. WE WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THE CITY CLERK WILL CALL THE FIRST FIVE NAMES. IF YOU DO HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP INSIDE THE CHAMBER. AND THEN WE WERE GETTING THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER. I'M JUST GOING TO I'M GOING TO CLARIFY THIS IS COMMENTS ON ITEM NUMBER 18. CORRECT. SO I WILL START CALLING OFF THE NAMES CONSUELO MARQUEZ, KATIE ARIAS, TYLER PETERSON, IGNACIO EMANUEL PODRIDA, AND LORETTA PEREZ. AGAIN, THAT'S CONSUELO MARQUEZ, KATIE ARIAS, TYLER PETERSON, IGNACIO EMANUEL PARTIDA, AND LORETTA PEREZ. THE FOLKS INSIDE THE CHAMBERS. WE WANT TO RESPECT EVERYONE'S THREE MINUTES, SO WE'LL KEEP THE. THE WE CAN MINIMIZE ANY CLAPPING INSIDE THE ROOM SO THAT WE ALLOW FOR THE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIR FULL THREE MINUTES. AND WHEN YOU'RE READY, CONSUELO, WE'LL START YOUR TIMER. ONCE YOU'RE.

LET US KNOW. WHAT DO YOU CALL. IT'S CONSUELO MARQUEZ, KATIE ARIAS, TYLER PETERSON, IGNACIO MANUEL PARTIDA, AND LORETTA PEREZ. IT'S BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO HEAR MY FACE. OKAY, THERE'S FEEDBACK FROM THE SPEAKERS. FEEDBACK OUTSIDE. OH, BECAUSE THE WIND. OKAY. WHAT DO YOU WANT? MAYBE WE CAN HAVE SOMEONE WHEN WE DO THE NEXT FIVE. JUST GO OUTSIDE. YEAH, AND THEN CALL THEM. YEAH. CALL THEM. YEAH. IF WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN KEEP THEIR NAMES. AND THEN IF WE CALL THEM A SECOND TIME AND THEY DON'T COME UP, THEN WE WILL. BUT IT'S IT'S OKAY. YEAH.

ANGELA. YEAH, WE CAN HAVE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER CITY STAFF MEMBER THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH. JUST CALLING OUT NAMES. SOMEONE ONE OF US CAN GO OUT THERE. OKAY, I APPRECIATE THE NAMES OUT LOUD. WHATEVER IS EASIER FOR YOU IF YOU ARE READY? YES, SIR. I DO KNOW YOU JUST WAIT IN LINE WHEN YOU'RE ABLE. SHE'LL SPEAK. SAY YOUR NAME AFTER. WHEN? YOUR NEXT TURN.

OKAY. YOU WANT TO BEGIN? YOU'RE GOOD TO GO. SO WE CAN START HER TIMER. HI, EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CONSUELO MARQUEZ, AND WE NEED A MORATORIUM ON ALL DATA CENTERS AND SIMILAR SIMILAR DEVELOPMENTS. NOW, HONESTLY, IT'S WHAT A SHAME THAT WE STILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS. A COUPLE MONTHS PAST ME. IT'S BECOME A SHAME AND EMBARRASSMENT THAT WE HAVE TO COME HERE TO PROTECT OURSELVES, NOT JUST FROM THE DEVELOPERS, NOT JUST FROM POWER, BUT IT FEELS LIKE FROM YOU GUYS AS WELL. I, WE STILL DON'T

[00:45:03]

AND WE SADLY DON'T TRUST THAT. WE KNOW WHAT CORPORATE NEGLIGENCE DOES TO A COMMUNITY.

AS YOU'VE ALL SEEN, UNFORTUNATELY, WITH GARDEN GROVE OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. I MEAN, IT'S EVEN THE SOURCE OF WATER FROM WHAT WE SAW FROM THE, THE TOWN HALL MIGHT BE CVS. AND AGAIN, THAT JUST CONTINUES TO GROW A SENSE OF DISTRUST IN THE RESIDENTS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A PART OF YOU THAT WANTS TO ALLOW POWER TO HAVE ANY KIND OF GRASP OR DIG ITS CLAWS INTO THE COMMUNITY. AND AGAIN, NONE OF US, NO ONE OUTSIDE, NO ONE HERE OR I WANT TO SAY CONFIDENTLY, UNFORTUNATELY, NO ONE HERE WANTS THAT. AND NO SORRY. ALSO, I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE HEARING THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN ALLEGED EIR OR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, OR. WELL, IT HASN'T BEEN PROPOSED YET. I DON'T WANT US TO.

HONESTLY, IT'S TOO LATE TO EITHER SEE ANY KIND OF REMEDIATION EFFORTS, ANY KIND OF HARM MITIGATION EFFORTS, OR JUST I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY OF THIS HAPPEN AT ALL. AND THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED SINCE THE BEGINNING AND IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. HONESTLY, IN THE FIRST PLACE. I DO LIE AWAKE. I LIE AWAKE AT NIGHT JUST THINKING, WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAVE OUR CITY LIKE THIS? WE'VE SEEN HOW MUCH DESTRUCTION, DEVASTATION DATA CENTERS HAVE ON RESIDENTS, SPECIFICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. YOU GUYS HIRED CV STRATEGIES FOR A REASON. AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PR FIRM, BUT HONESTLY, IT WAS SO LAST MINUTE THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE TO START ANY KIND OF COMMUNICATION EFFORTS WITH THE RESIDENTS. AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. HONESTLY, IT'S JUST CRISIS CONTROL AT THIS POINT, AND I THINK IT'S TOO LATE. AND WE SEE THAT YOU'VE IGNORED EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR RESIDENTS THAT YOU ARE ON OUR SIDE. AND THAT'S BEEN NOTED EVERY SINGLE DAY, THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY HAS GONE, THAT HAS GONE PAST, HAS SHOWN US THAT HONESTLY, IT'S UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ANY BETTER THAN AT THIS POINT. YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF US. WE NEED A MORATORIUM NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KATIE ARIAS. AND JUST SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THIS GOING AFTER THESE FIRST FIVE, WE HAVE STEPHANIE AMBRIZ AND RUTH WHITES. AGAIN, THAT'S STEPHANIE AMBRIZ AND RUTH WHITES. OKAY, YOU MAY BEGIN.

OKAY. TO THE TO THE COACHELLA CITY COUNCIL. FIRST OFF, I WOULD SUGGEST TO LEAN INTO THE MIC WHEN YOU GUYS ARE TALKING, BECAUSE IF YOU FROM BACK HERE CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING. MY NAME IS KATIE AND I'M STANDING HERE TO SAY ONE. THE CITY OF COACHELLA MUST TERMINATE ITS AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD POWER TO IMPLEMENT AN ORDINANCE PERMANENTLY BANNING THE DEVELOPMENT, THE CONSTRUCTION AND PRODUCTION OF DATA CENTERS, PERIOD. THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF REASONS TO SAY NO TO THESE TO THIS POISONOUS PROPOSAL. ONE. I MEAN WATER, AIR, NOISE POLLUTION, STRONGHOLD POWERS, FRAUDULENT HISTORY, AND THE MERE FACT THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN SHOWING UP CONSISTENTLY AND MAKING IT CLEAR THAT WE DO NOT WANT THESE DATA CENTERS TO BE BUILT ON. LIKE, THAT'S THE COUPLE OF REASONS. BUT I STAND HERE TODAY AS A RESIDENT OF INDIO, BUT I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF FAMILIES THAT HAVE LIVED, WORKED AND GONE TO SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. I HAVE FAMILY HISTORIES OF LIVING IN COACHELLA, OFF CYPRESS STREET AND BALBOA STREET. MY ELDERS, ANCESTORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE WORKED IN THE AGRICULTURAL FIELDS OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY, AND I AM HERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AN ACTIVE, KIND, HELPFUL, AND RESPONSIBLE COMMUNITY MEMBER. ONE THING THAT YOU GUYS SHOULD HONESTLY LIKE REMIND YOURSELVES, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE. SUPPOSEDLY, THEY TAUGHT ME THESE THINGS BECAUSE THEY GREW UP HERE. THIS. THAT IS THE CITY OF COACHELLA'S LEGACY. THE PEOPLE SPEAKING HERE, THE PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE THE CITY HALL, THE PEOPLE WHO CAMPAIGNED FOR YOU GUYS TO SIT IN THOSE CHAIRS TO REPRESENT THEIR COMMUNITY. THAT IS THE LEGACY OF THIS CITY. DON'T BE AN EMBARRASSMENT. THERE'S STILL TIME TO SAVE US ALL FROM THAT EMBARRASSMENT AND YOURSELVES INCLUDED. I HATE TO EVEN TALK ABOUT A HYPOTHETICAL, BUT IF THIS WERE TO BE DEVELOPED, YOU ARE MAKING IT CLEAR TO YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM, THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR FUTURE, AND YOU HAVE NO SHAME IN POISONING THEM. IT WOULD BE A DISGRACE. YOU GUYS WOULD ALL BE A DISGRACE TO THE RESIDENTS OF COACHELLA. IF UTILITY IS THE MAIN CONCERN, CUT THIS AGREEMENT, IMPLEMENT AN ORDINANCE AND WORK TRANSPARENTLY WITH YOUR COMMUNITY ON FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION. BECAUSE STRONGHOLD POWER IS NOT OUR SOLUTION, NOR DO WE WANT IT TO BE. WE NEED TO FIND A NEW ONE. AND THAT IS YOUR JOB. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. OUR TYLER

[00:50:13]

OKAY, SO I THINK IF IT'S EXCUSE ME, MA'AM, I'M SORRY. SOUNDS GOOD. WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH THE MEETING NOW WITH YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE. BY THE TIME I'M DONE READING THIS STATEMENT, ELON MUSK WILL HAVE EARNED $1 MILLION. I WANT TO PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT THE FAITH THE WORKING CLASS HAS IN THE GOVERNMENT IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW. WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WITH OUR BEST INTERESTS IN MIND AND WE KNOW IT. I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING MORE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY THAN THIS DATA CENTER. ENERGY DATA SHOWS THAT BILLS NEAR DATA CENTERS RISE BY 267% ON AVERAGE, AND TEN TIMES THE ENERGY OF AN ENTIRE CITY. AND IF THE GRID GOES DOWN, WHO DO YOU THINK THE ELECTRIC COMPANY IS GOING TO GIVE THE POWER TO? FIRST, IT'S GOING TO BE A SMALL BUSINESS OR THEIR CASH COW WATER. THE DATA CENTER WOULD CONSUME AT LEAST 1.5 MILLION AT LEAST, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE WAY OVER THIS 1.5 MILLION GALLONS EVERY SINGLE DAY. WE'RE IN A PERMANENT DROUGHT. AND IF AGAIN, IF THERE'S A WATER SHORTAGE, WHO GETS THE WATER FIRST, THE FARMER OR THE CASH COW? THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMMUNITIES NEAR DATA CENTERS WHERE THE TAP WATER ROUND BROWN RESIDENTS LOST WATER PRESSURE. THIS IS DOCUMENTED. THIS IS REAL, AND IT CAN HAPPEN HERE. AS FOR THE AIR, WE HAVE SOME OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE NATION. TOXIC DUST FROM THE SHRINKING SALTON SEA, CONSTANTLY GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER INTO THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW FURTHER INTO THE COACHELLA VALLEY. CAN WE PLEASE FIX THAT FIRST BEFORE ADDING DIESEL GENERATORS THAT RUN 24 HOURS A DAY, PUMPING NITROGEN NITROGEN DIOXIDE INTO OUR LUNGS. WE'RE ALREADY LOSING THE BATTLE FOR CLEAN AIR, AND THIS WOULD FINISH IT HEAT. THE RESEARCH SHOWS DATA CENTERS RAISE GROUND TEMPERATURES WITHIN SIX MILES OF THE FACILITY. THIS VALLEY DEPENDS ON AGRICULTURE, RAISING THE GROUND TEMPERATURE EVEN A FEW DEGREES DOESN'T INCONVENIENCE FARMERS. IT KILLS CROPS. IT KILLS LIVELIHOODS. AND THEN THERE'S THE NOISE. 100DB OF CONSTANT HUMMING, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. THAT WILL HAUNT YOUR DREAMS AND NEVER STOP. AND YOUR HOME'S VALUE. THE EQUITY YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD OUT THE WINDOW. THE DATA HASN'T CAUGHT UP YET, BUT THE INTERNET TALKS. NO ONE'S GOING TO WANT TO COME TO COACHELLA FEST. NO ONE'S GOING TO WANT TO COME TO THE PARADISE. NO ONE'S GOING TO WANT TO HAVE A WEDDING IN ONE OF THOSE NICE PLACES DOWN OFREDERICK AND COACHELLA. IT'S OVER. IT'S DONE.

YEAH. SO, SO LIKE MY SCIENCE SAYS, THE DATA CENTER WOULD BE A DEATH, A DEATH SENTENCE TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY FOREVER. NO VALUE TO VISITORS, NO VALUE TO RETIREES, NO VALUE TO TOURISTS. THUS, THE ECONOMY WOULD COLLAPSE. AND LET'S BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT THIS IS REALLY FOR. NOBODY ASKED FOR MORE FOR MORE AI. WE DON'T WANT IT. WE DON'T WANT FLOCK CAMERAS.

WE DON'T WANT FLOCK CAMERAS EITHER. THIS IS ANOTHER DECISION THAT WAS MADE WITHOUT US, WITHOUT THE PEOPLE. WE DON'T WANT MASS SURVEILLANCE. THIS GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY SHOWN US WHO IT SERVES AND WE ARE HEADED TOWARD THOUGHT CRIMES, SOCIAL CREDIT SCORES AND GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED MONEY. THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, THE DATA CENTER, IS THE FOUNDATION THAT THEY NEED TO GET US THERE. THIS IS TERRIFYING. THIS DATA CENTER IS CARRYING OUT THE AGENDA OF MONSTERS, BIG TECH AND A FASCIST GOVERNMENT IS A MARRIAGE. STICK TO THE THREE MINUTE TIMELINE. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF COMMENTS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, HOW ABOUT THIS? THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT BACK FOR THE PEOPLE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I HAVE. I HAVE STATED BEFORE ABOUT THE CLAPPING. IT DOES DETER FROM THE NEXT PERSON SPEAKING. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHOW A SIGNAL OF SUPPORT, YOU CAN ALSO WAVE YOUR HANDS LIKE THIS OR DO ANOTHER TYPE OF GESTURE THAT SHOWS SUPPORT FOR THE PERSON, THAT WILL ALLOW FOR THE NEXT INDIVIDUAL TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK ON TIME. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT INDIVIDUAL.

THANK YOU ANGELA. SO I HAVE ONE THING WITH FOUR THINGS ON IT. SO IT'S GOING TO BE THE TWO

[00:55:03]

OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO I DO WANT TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC RECORD ISSUES. WE HAVE ALL ASKED EVERYBODY OUT THERE FOR PUBLIC RECORD, FOR CONVERSATIONS BE STREAMED BETWEEN STRONGHOLD AND THE CITY COUNCIL, INCLUDING STEPHEN HERNANDEZ, TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE HECK IS ON OUR SIDE. AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE ANY PRAISE FROM ANY CLERK AT ANY TIME. WE HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK AND PUSHED BACK FOR MONTHS AND WE HAVE REQUESTED SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS. SO IT'S VERY ODD THAT THOSE SPECIFIC COUNCIL PEOPLE ARE NOT LETTING US SEE THEIR CONVERSATIONS. SO SECONDLY, I DO WANT TO EXPRESS TO YOU THAT WE HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE CLERK'S IS ALMOST AT ZERO. WE TALK, WE CALL, WE CALL, AND WE'RE ASKING, WE'VE BEEN ASKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REGISTER OUR PETITION. AND EVERY TIME I GET A PHONE CALL, EVERY TIME I CALL, I GET A VOICEMAIL, I LEAVE A VOICEMAIL. AND I'VE ONLY HAD TWO PHONE CALLS BACK AND THEY SAY, OH, LET'S HAVE YOUR EMAIL AND I'LL CALL YOU BACK. AND THEY HAVE NEVER, EVER TOUCHED BASE AGAIN. LAST LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE COUNCIL STATED AND SAID IT OUT LOUD THAT WE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO EVERY APPLICATION THAT HAS COME THROUGH TO BE AN INTERVIEWER FOR THAT NEXT SEAT. NO ONE HAS ANSWERED MY REQUEST. NO ONE AND I HAVE PUT THAT IN TO ANGELA. I HAVE PUT THAT INTO ON PUBLIC RECORD AS WELL. SO I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED OF WHY WE ARE NOT RECEIVING ANY COMMUNICATION FROM OUR CLERK TO GIVE US OUR INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL STATED WOULD HAVE. WE WOULD HAVE. I AM ALSO REQUESTING YOU GUYS THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE BE PLACED. WE NEED TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE, NOT PROFITS. OUR CHILDREN. WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN. YADIRA. I KNOW YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I PROTECT THESE KIDS. DON'T LET MY WORK BE IN VAIN. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE EVERYTHING YOU GOT. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE EVERYTHING THIS COUNCIL HAS.

AND HAVING A DATA CENTER TWO MILES FROM OUR KIDS IS NOT THINKING ABOUT OUR KIDS OR OUR FUTURE. THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THEIR POCKETS. THEY AIN'T THINKING ABOUT US. WE ARE THE LAST THING ON THEIR MIND. THE ONLY REASON WE'RE IN THEIR HEAD RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE WE'RE STOPPING THEIR MONEY FLOW. INCLUDING YOUR LAWYERS OVER HERE. THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT UP, IGNACIO. OKAY, I'M JUST GOING TO CALL A FEW NAMES. COME BACK, I DO, WE WANTED TO ADDRESS AN ITEM REALLY FAST WITH HER. IF SHE CAN COME BACK, THE THE APPLICATIONS ARE ACTUALLY ONLINE NOW, SO GO AHEAD. SHE HAS SOMETHING ELSE. YEAH. I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE ON THE DATA CENTERS YET UNTIL WE'RE ALL DONE. BUT FOR THE APPLICATIONS WE JUST RECEIVED THEM TODAY. OKAY. AND THEY'RE NOW ONLINE. THAT'S BECAUSE THE DEADLINE WAS FIVE. SO SHE JUST GOT THEM ALL TOGETHER. SO ANGELA HOW WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO ARE THEY ON. YEAH THAT'S CORRECT. THEY'RE ON THE WEBSITE. AND THERE IS A PROCESS. WE DO HAVE TO WAIT ON THE COUNTY AS WELL JUST TO VERIFY THAT IT'S VALID WITH THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE. SO BUT THEY'RE UP THERE.

YEAH. SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO CALL UP SOME NAMES JUST SO THAT WE CAN KEEP IT GOING. STEPHANIE AMBRIZ, RUTH WHITES, FRANCISCO MOLINA, ALISON GOFFREDO, ALEX SANDOVAL. YOU CAN GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. HI GUYS. GOOD AFTERNOON. OBVIOUSLY NO ONE'S REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, BUT I DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU COULD HEAR THE CROWD. I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE DATABASES ARE NOT GOOD. YOU COULD LOOK AT THE DATA YOURSELF, BUT LOOK AT UTAH. GO LOOK AT TEXAS. THIS IS NOT THE WAY WE CRITICIZE CHINA, BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE SMART ENOUGH NOT TO PUT THE DATABASES ON THEIR LAND. THEY PUT IT ON OCEAN, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS TO STOP THIS AND TO DEFINITELY DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY. WE HAVE THE SALTON SEA. WHY DON'T THEY TAKE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, CLEAN IT AND THEN YOU COULD KEEP IT. BUT THEY'RE TOO STUPID TO THINK.

SO EVEN THOUGH YOU GUYS DON'T SEE THAT IT'S AFFECTING YOU GUYS BECAUSE YOUR POCKET IS GOOD. THESE DATABASES ARE GOING TO RUIN YOU GUYS TOO. SO EVEN I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO GO TO YOUR BUNKER? SO THIS THING IT'S A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE BEFORE ALL OF YOU GUYS ARE UNDER SOME TYPE OF DIGITAL PRISON. THESE THINGS ARE NOT JUST DATABASES. THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS, CRYPTO SYSTEMS TO BASICALLY ENSLAVE THE REST OF THE HUMANITY BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, I THINK. AND TRUMP AND ALL THESE PEOPLE, THEY KNOW THIS, AND IT'S NOT EVEN A CONSPIRACY THEORIST. AND I KNOW I SOUND LIKE ONE, BUT I MEAN, THEY FAILED AT THE COVID VACCINE. THEY COULDN'T GET RID OF US. AND NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THIS TO GET RID OF THE SOCIETY. I THINK INSTEAD OF GETTING RID OF US, THEY SHOULD EDUCATE US. AND, YOU KNOW, BE HONEST WITH, WITH THE PEOPLE. LIKE YOU COULD TELL YOU GUYS ARE NERVOUS BECAUSE I COULD HEAR IT IN YOUR GUY'S VOICE. I WAS NERVOUS BEFORE I CAME UP HERE, BUT HONESTLY, I DON'T HAVE TO WRITE NOTHING OR DO A SCRIPT. EVERYTHING I'M TELLING

[01:00:03]

ALL SOURCES OF PFAS, WHICH ARE RESISTANT TO BREAKING DOWN IN THE ENVIRONMENT, EARNING THEM THE NICKNAME OF FOREVER CHEMICALS. IT'S FOREVER. THERE ARE ALSO OVERWHELMING EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY DATA CENTERS WITH BROWN CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER AND IN SOME CASES, REDUCED WATER PRESSURE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN DIVERTED FOR THE DATA CENTERS CONSUMPTION.

OUR DRINKING WATER IN COACHELLA HAS ELEVATED LEVELS OF CHROME SIX. YOU KNOW THIS FOR THOSE WHO DON'T. IT'S A KNOWN CARCINOGEN, AND ITS CONSUMPTION OVER TIME CAUSES CANCER, SPECIFICALLY STOMACH AND GASTROINTESTINAL INTESTINAL CANCERS, LIKE THE ONE MY GRANDFATHER HAS. OUR ELDERS HAVE BEEN CONSUMING THIS WATER FOR YEARS AS WELL AS OUR CHILDREN. THE CITY'S PLANS ONLY FURTHER INCREASE THESE VERY REAL RISKS FOR OUR FAMILIES. I FEAR FOR OUR ELDERS AND OUR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN AT VALLE DEL SOL ELEMENTARY AND THE NEARBY MOBILE HOME PARKS IN THERMAL WHO NEVER AGREED TO THIS. BY THE WAY, THE CITY UTILITY PLANS WILL ONLY SERVE DATA CENTERS THE BAILEYS, AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR HEALTH, OUR ENVIRONMENT AND EVEN OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS. WE ARE WELL INFORMED ABOUT YOUR AGREEMENT AND THE IMPACTS OF DATA CENTERS, AND WE HAVE BEEN LOUD AND PERSISTENT IN SAYING NO TO DATA CENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. STRONGHOLDS SUBMITTED A LETTER TO THE CITY SEEKING REASSURANCE THAT THE CITY WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR DATA CENTER AGREEMENT. AS YOUR COMMUNITY, WE DEMAND MORE THAN REASSURANCE. WE DEMAND ACTION FROM EACH ONE OF YOU TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE. DROP THE AGREEMENT, DROP THE DATA CENTERS, AND IMPLEMENT ORDINANCE TO PREVENT DATA CENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. FACE WHATEVER CONSEQUENCES MAY COME FROM TAKING THOSE ACTIONS. THOSE ARE YOUR CONSEQUENCES AS A CITY. BEAR THEM. WHETHER IT'S LAWSUITS, IT DOESN'T MATTER. THOSE ARE YOUR CONSEQUENCES TO BEAR. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE. IF YOU DON'T, WE WILL RECALL YOU, EVERY SINGLE

[01:05:01]

SO I'M SPEAKING TO THE MIC. PLEASE. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T PLAN TO SPEAK, BUT HERE, HERE I AM.

SO I'M GOING TO READ WHAT IS A DATA CENTER, BUT NOT THAT THAT THAT WE ARE POTENTIALLY BUILDING SIX HYPERSCALE AI DATA CENTERS, WHICH ARE THE LARGEST VARIETY, POTENTIALLY MAKING THE CV TECH CAMPUS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES. WELL, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THAT THAT RIVERSIDE COUNTY HAS THE FIFTH HOTTEST CLIMATE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THAT DATA CENTERS THAT THAT RAISE US UP TO ABOUT 16 DEGREES HIGHER THAN THE 120 DEGREES WE NORMALLY ENJOY IN OUR SUMMERS IS YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THOSE CONDITIONS. DO YOU THINK OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE MAINTAINED IN THOSE CONDITIONS? YOU'RE POLLUTING OUR WATER. YOU'RE STEALING OUR WATER, YOU'RE STEALING OUR ELECTRICITY. YOU'RE EXPECTING US TO PAY SO THAT YOU CAN GET RICHER. AND I'M SORRY, I'M NOT INVOLVED WITH THAT. I DON'T SUPPORT THAT. YOU MADE YOUR MONEY. WHY DON'T YOU SHARE IT WITH PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY NEED IT? WHY DON'T YOU THINK ABOUT HEALTH CARE OR FOOD, FOOD ASSISTANCE OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MAKE LIFE BETTER AND LIVABLE? YOU DON'T BECAUSE ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS MONEY. THE PUBLIC WILL BE INFORMED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

DESPITE VERBAL COMMITMENTS TO TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, RESIDENTS IN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES REPORTED LEARNING CRITICAL DETAILS REGARDING WATER USE, POWER DEMAND, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS. ONLY AFTER THE PROJECT HAD REACHED ADVANCED APPROVAL OR PERMITTING STAGES. HOW CONVENIENT. EARLIER, YOU SAID YOU VOTED FOR SOMETHING, BUT YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE VOTING FOR. YOU DIDN'T VOTE FOR A DATA CENTER. SO ARE YOU IGNORANT OR ARE YOU INCOMPETENT BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE VOTING FOR? WE VOTE FOR YOU. WE TRUST YOU TO REPRESENT US. AND IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT, YOU NEED TO GET OUT AND MAKE WAY FOR SOMEONE WHO WILL. THERE IS NO RISK TO YOUR GROUNDWATER, THEY TELL US. WELL, WATER IMPACTS DIFFER BY PROJECT, BUT COMMUNITIES NEAR SOME DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENTS HAVE REPORTED ISSUES INVOLVING GROUNDWATER AVAILABILITY.

DRINKING WATER QUALITY, WHICH SHE ALREADY ADDRESSED, IS ALREADY IN THE. YOU'LL PARDON ME. AND WATER SYSTEM PRESSURE. SO WE HAVE SEEN THIS COME TO LIFE ALREADY. WE'RE NOT IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. WE HAVE PLENTY OF LIVING EXAMPLES TO SHOW US EXACTLY HOW BAD BAD CAN GET. AND THAT'S NOT IN A DATA CENTER OF THIS SIZE. THAT'S IN A, IN A, IN A REGULAR ONE. SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE WANT IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND IF YOU REPRESENT US, YOU BETTER STEP UP AND REPRESENT US AND, AND, AND JUST END THIS NONSENSE WHILE WE STILL CAN. BECAUSE I AM TIRED OF BEING TOLD IT'S TOO LATE, IT'S TOO LATE, IT'S TOO LATE, IT IS NOT TOO LATE, IT IS NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU TO DO YOUR JOBS. IT IS NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO STAND UP FOR US AND DO WHAT IS NECESSARY, WHAT WE TRUST YOU TO DO. OUR LIVES LITERALLY HANG IN THE BALANCE HERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. FRANCISCO. MY NAME IS FRANKIE MOLINA. I'M GONNA WAIT. I'M GONNA WAIT UNTIL ALL THAT NOISE CALMS DOWN. YEAH, JUST. I'M NOT TALKING UNTIL EVERYTHING CALMS DOWN. MY TIME.

I DIDN'T START SPEAKING. HE HASN'T STARTED, I STARTED SPEAKING. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PUT MY PLACE. I SAID I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT BEFORE I SPEAK. I'M AUTISTIC. I HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS UNDER ADA, SO I NEED A MOMENT TO CHILL OUT SO I CAN COLLECT MY NERVES. MY NAME IS FRANKIE. I'M A COACHELLA RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER. I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING TO THIS DISCUSSION THAT IS NOW PART OF THE DOCUMENTED PUBLIC RECORD, AND I AM RAISING IT HERE IN THIS CHAMBER FOR THE FIRST TIME. ON FEBRUARY 11TH, 2026, COUNCIL MEMBER VIKAN MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL UTILITY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD POWER SYSTEMS THAT IS DOCUMENTED IN THE OFFICIAL MINUTES OF THIS COUNCIL. SO PLEASE DON'T PLAY IGNORANT. LAST NIGHT, MAY 26TH, 2026, I ATTENDED THE THERMAL OASIS COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING AT CHURCH STREET IN THERMAL. COUNCIL MEMBER VIKAN WAS PRESENT AT THAT MEETING, NOT AS A COACHELLA COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT AS THE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERVISOR VICTOR MANUEL PEREZ'S OFFICE TO CSA. 125 THE THERMAL OASIS

[01:10:06]

YOU'RE DONE. YOU'RE CAREER. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO STATE SOME MORE NAMES. ALLISON GOFFREDO, ALEX SANDOVAL, TERESITA MAGANA, ADRIANA SUAREZ, JOSEPH WESCOTT, JESUS. AKIN.

GONZALEZ. ALL RIGHT. WELL, MY NAME IS ALLISON GOFFREDO AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. AND I'M HERE TODAY WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER FOLKS OUTSIDE TO OPPOSE THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF COACHELLA AND STRONGHOLD POWER. I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH WILL RETURN A PLETHORA OF TESTIMONIALS, ARTICLES, PEER REVIEWED STUDIES ABOUT THE DEVASTATING IMPACTS OF DATA CENTERS ON THE COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT NATIONALLY. A RECENT GALLUP STUDY SHOWS SEVEN OUT OF TEN PEOPLE ACROSS THE US, SEVEN OUT OF TEN PEOPLE OPPOSE DATA CENTERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. OVER HALF OF THIS YEAR'S PLANNED DATA CENTERS HAVE BEEN DELAYED OR CANCELED NATIONWIDE TO BRING IT LOCAL. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE OVER MULTIPLE CITY MEETINGS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE TODAY HAVE COME TO OPPOSE THIS AGREEMENT. THOUSANDS HAVE SIGNED VARIOUS ONLINE PETITIONS AGAINST THIS AGREEMENT. ALL OF THIS CONTRADICTS THE MANY THAT SUPPORT DATA CENTERS, THE CITY'S ATTORNEY CLAIMED A FEW WEEKS AGO AT THE CITY'S TOWN HALL. SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT IT. THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. WE KNOW THERE WILL BE DEVASTATING IMPACTS ON PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT. THE RESEARCH SUPPORTS THIS, AND WE CAN EASILY EXTRAPOLATE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS WILL BE EXACERBATED IN THE DROUGHT PRONE, EXTREMELY HOT DESERT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY, WITHOUT EVEN NEEDING THE DEVELOPERS. SEEK A DEIR. SO WILL THE CITY LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE AND STAND UP AGAINST DATA CENTERS LIKE HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY? OR WILL THE CITY BETRAY THE COMMUNITY FOR THE SHINY PROMISES OF THIS DEVELOPER? ALL OF US IN AND OUTSIDE THIS ROOM WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR DATA CENTERS IN OUR REGION. THE CITY IS ITS OWN.

ATTORNEY ALSO SAID A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT THE AGREEMENT LEAVES ROOM TO END IT AS THE CITY SEES FIT. ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, YOU'LL BE DISCUSSING STRONGHOLD'S REQUEST FOR THE CITY'S WRITTEN REASSURANCE AND THIRD PARTY LEGAL COUNSEL TO REVIEW THE AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD. SO DO THE RIGHT THING. DON'T PROVIDE WRITTEN REASSURANCE TO STRONGHOLD.

INSTEAD, WORK WITH YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO END THE AGREEMENT WITH THEM AND ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT BANS DATA CENTERS. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS FIGHT BY STANDING WITH YOUR COMMUNITY. AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, I JUST WANT TO END WITH THIS REMINDER THAT ELECTIONS ARE THIS YEAR AND WE ONLY NEED A FEW THOUSAND SIGNATURES TO

[01:15:03]

THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE OF RIVERSIDE, AND THEY WILL NOT CARE ABOUT THE MARGINALIZED RESIDENTS OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. YOU SPOKE EARLIER TO THE YOUNG GRADUATES AND TOLD THEM THAT COACHELLA IS ALWAYS HOME. IF THAT IS TRUE, YOU ALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT COACHELLA REMAINS LIVABLE AND THIS DATA CENTER PROJECT WILL MAKE LIVING HERE DANGEROUS AND TOXIC. PLEASE DROP YOUR AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD POWER AND EARN BACK THE TRUST OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS BY IMPLEMENTING AN ORDINANCE BANNING DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. OBVIOUSLY, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID BEFORE ME AND WHAT OBVIOUSLY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY TONIGHT, WHICH IS THAT IT'S JUST SO ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING THIS PROJECT. AND SO, YEAH, I JUST URGE YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME YOUR NAME? ARE YOU ADRIANA SUAREZ? THANK YOU. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ADRIANA SUAREZ AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M OPPOSING THE DATA CENTERS. I WANT TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON ARTICLE 17 AND 18, BECAUSE THESE SECTIONS EXIST TO PROTECT RESPONSIBLE LAND USE, COMMUNITY WELFARE AND LONG TERM PLANNING. THIS PROJECT CONFLICTS WITH THOSE GOALS IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT WAYS. ARTICLE 17 GOVERNS ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. THESE RULES ARE SUPPOSED TO ENSURE THAT INDUSTRIAL SCALE PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS DATA CENTER ARE COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, INFRASTRUCTURES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. A MASSIVE DATA CENTER CAMPUS CONSUMING ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY AND WATER IN ONE OF THE MOST HOTTEST AND DRIEST REGIONS IN CALIFORNIA DOES NOT SEEM IDEAL. NOT TO ME AND NOT TO THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE. WE ARE HERE TO URGENTLY PLEASE ASK THAT THESE BE. WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO ASK. YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW WHAT THESE THESE DATA CENTERS ARE DOING TO UTAH, NEVADA, GEORGIA. ALL THESE PLACES ARE COMPLAINING NOW ABOUT NO WATER.

THE PROPOSAL, REPEATED REPEATEDLY, REPORTEDLY INCLUDES UP TO SIX DATA CENTERS BUILDING ACROSS HUNDREDS OF ACRES HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. AND NOW GOING INTO ARTICLE 18, ADDRESSING PLANNING STANDARDS INTENDED TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY REGULATIONS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. RESIDENTS. MORE THAN 250 RESIDENTS HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN OUT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS OPPOSING THIS PROJECTS. THOSE. THOSE CONCERNS DESERVE MORE THAN VAGUE ASSURANCES.

THEY DESERVE INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND TRANSPARENT PUBLIC OVERSIGHT.

THIS VALLEY IS ALREADY FACING EXTREME HEAT, WATER, SCARCE SCARCITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE STRAIN. EXPERTS AND LOCAL REPORTINGS HAVE IDENTIFIED THESE EXACT ISSUES AS MAJOR CONSTRAINTS FOR HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY BUILDING, ONE OF THE LARGEST AI INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE DESERT. WHILE RESIDENTS WORRY ABOUT RAISING. WHAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT IS RAISING UTILITY COSTS LONG TERM. LONG TERM. SORRY, THESE DATA CENTERS DO NOT BELONG HERE AND YOU GUYS KNOW IT. AND WE HOPE THAT YOU DO THE RIGHT THING. YOU ARE HERE FOR THE PEOPLE AND YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE OF ME. AND WE WANT YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING WITH

[01:20:06]

I'LL BE I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT FOUR MAIN POINTS. THE FIRST BEING THE EFFECT OF POWER, AIR AND WATER THAT I WILL HAVE IN THE EFFECTS THAT WILL HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE LAST ONE WILL BE HOW THE DATA CENTERS PLAY A PART IN SURVEILLANCE AND INTERPRETATIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO FIRST, OVER A DOZEN UTILITIES RECEIVE DATA CENTER REQUESTS FOR AT LEAST 700GW OF POWER CONNECTION POWER CONNECTION DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH IS MORE THAN 477GW AND ELECTRICITY THAT THE US CONSUMED IN ALL OF 2023. MANY UTILITIES ARE PASSING ON THE COST OF TO THE CONSUMER THROUGH HIGHER MONTHLY UTILITY BILLS. UTILITIES REQUESTED MORE THAN $29 BILLION IN RATE INCREASE IN THE HALF OF 2025, WHICH IS DOUBLE THE AMOUNT REQUESTED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2024. THIS AFFECTS LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, WHICH THIS COMMUNITY IS LOW INCOME AND, AND THEY SPEND UP TO 20% OF THEIR INCOME ON ENERGY. SO ANY INCREASE WOULD BE BAD. AND EVEN BEFORE THE DATA CENTER BOOM, 1 IN 4 HOUSEHOLDS REPORTED HAVING DIFFICULTY PAYING THEIR ENERGY BILLS. AND THEN SECONDLY, EACH DATA CENTER HAS MANY DIESEL POWERED GENERATORS THAT ARE TESTED REGULARLY. THE AIR POLLUTION FROM THESE GENERATORS CAN HARM OUR HEALTH, MOST OF IT FROM TINY PARTICLES AND DIESEL EXHAUST AND NITROGEN DIOXIDE.

DIESEL EXHAUST IS TOXIC POLLUTANT. IT CONTAINS FINE PARTICLES WHICH CAN CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPOSED FREQUENTLY AND AT HIGH ENOUGH LEVELS. THESE PARTICLES ARE TOO SMALL TO BE FILTERED THROUGH THE AIR BY THE NOSE AND THE UPPER RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. THE PARTICLES GO DEEP INTO THE LUNG AND AND CAN CAUSE DAMAGE AND CHEMICAL CHANGES.

AND THEN NITROGEN DIOXIDE IS ANOTHER TOXIC AIR POLLUTANT THAT CAN CAUSE BREATHING PROBLEMS, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE EXPOSED TO IT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, FROM 30 MINUTES TO 24 HOURS. IT CAN ALSO MAKE BREATHING HARDER FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE LUNG PROBLEMS, WHICH I HAVE ASTHMA, SO IT WILL AFFECT ME INDIRECTLY. AND THEN MOST DATA CENTERS DO USE WATER IN SOME FORM, BUT NOT ALL INDUSTRIES. ESTIMATES SHOW THAT ROUGHLY 70 TO 90% OF DATA CENTERS WORLDWIDE RELY ON WATER BASED COOLING AS THEIR PRIMARY METHOD. AMONG THE DATA CENTERS COOLED FACILITIES, THE VAST MAJORITY OF LARGE SCALE DATA CENTERS USE OPEN LOOP EVAPORATIVE COOLING, MEANING THEY EVAPORATE WATER AS PART OF THE COOLING PROCESS. THIS HAS BEEN THE STANDARD BECAUSE IT'S EFFECTIVE AND ENERGY SAVING, BUT IT DOES CONSUME WATER.

UNFORTUNATELY, MOST OF THAT COOLING WATER HAS HISTORICALLY COME FROM DRINKING QUALITY WATER SOURCES, AND THEN A MID-SIZED DATA CENTER MIGHT CONSUME ON THE ORDER OF 100 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR FOR COOLING, LARGE FOR COOLING, AND THEN LARGE HYPERSCALE FACILITIES CAN USE UP TO ONE 1 TO 5 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY, WHICH YOU GUYS WANT TO BUILD SIX. SO THAT'LL BE 30 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY. AND THEN A LOT OF THE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY HAS TO BE STORED SOMEWHERE IN LONG TERM DATA CENTERS ARE THE ONES THAT HOLD THIS INFORMATION AND HELP ANALYZE THEM AND HELP SURVEILLANCE. THIS IS BECAUSE DATA CENTERS HOST A POWERFUL GPUS THAT ARE NEEDED TO RUN BY BIOMETRIC ALGORITHMS AGAINST MASSIVE DATABASES OF MUG SHOTS, ID PHOTOS, AND ETC. AND THEN DATA CENTERS ARE ALWAYS PROCESSING MILLIONS OF LICENSE PLATES, IMAGES DAILY AND COMPARING THEM AGAINST HOT LISTS OR OF STOLEN VEHICLES IN REAL TIME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO CALL A FEW MORE NAMES THAT I DON'T SEE. TERESITA MAGANA AND JULIE MAGANA. AFUERA. TERESITA MAGANA YES. SU COMENTARIO. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JESUS GONZALEZ. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY. VICENTA ZAMORA AND MYSELF HAVE STARTED A PETITION CALLING FOR A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS IN COACHELLA THAT HAS OVER 7000 SIGNATURES. IF APPROVED, THIS WOULD BE THE LARGEST DATA CENTER IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT THE CONCERNS ALREADY RAISED TODAY REGARDING THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF DATA CENTER COULD HAVE ON OUR REGION'S WATER, ENERGY, TEMPERATURE, POLLUTION, AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. WHAT I'M GOING TO DISCUSS IS THE CITY'S HISTORY TO GET TO THIS POINT, SO THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS

[01:25:05]

SO WE HAVE TO ASK, WHY AREN'T THEY? WHY? WHY ARE THEY CHOOSING TO EXTRACT FROM THE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF INVESTING IN SOLUTIONS? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE BECAUSE NO ONE HAS STOPPED THEM UNTIL NOW. I CANNOT IGNORE THE ETHICAL CONCERNS SURROUNDING THIS DEAL.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORDS SHOW STRONGHOLD POWER, DONATED TO THE CAMPAIGN OF FORMER MAYOR STEVE HERNANDEZ, WHO THIS YEAR PLEADED GUILTY TO FELONY CONFLICT, FELONY CONFLICT OF INTEREST CHARGES. THIS COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY IN FEBRUARY TO APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT. WE DESERVE TO KNOW WHY AND IF THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL ARE NOW SAYING THEY DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE VOTING FOR, THAT IS SADLY NOT REASSURING. OUR COMMUNITIES DESERVE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND LEADERS WHO READ WHAT THEY SIGN. AND ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT HAS NOT EVEN STARTED THAT I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE WAITING ON UNTIL IT IS COMPLETE, UNTIL OUR WATER IS PROTECTED, UNTIL OUR ENERGY GRID IS SECURED, AND UNTIL THIS COMMUNITY HAS FULL TRANSPARENCY, NO DATA CENTER SHOULD BE APPROVED IN THIS VALLEY. NOT ONE TO THE STRONGHOLD REPRESENTATIVE. IN THIS ROOM, I SEE YOU. WE ALL SEE YOU BEHIND EVERY PROFIT PROJECTION. PROJECTIONS ARE REAL FAMILIES AND REAL CHILDREN. YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO CHOOSE PEOPLE OVER PROFIT. I URGE YOU TO FIND YOUR HUMANITY AND ASK YOURSELVES, IS THIS THE LEGACY YOU WANT TO LEAVE? AND TO THIS COUNCIL? YOU ARE NOT ELECTED TO SERVE CORPORATIONS. YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE US. THE FAMILIES, THE TEACHERS, THE CHILDREN, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SHOW UP TO MEETINGS LIKE THIS BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO BE IGNORED, PLACED THE MORATORIUM, PROTECT THIS VALLEY. WE ARE WATCHING AND WE WILL REMEMBER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF I CAN JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SPEAK, SAY A FEW MORE NAMES. YOU'RE UP NEXT TO SPEAK. JULIE MAGANA, TERESITA MAGANA, JACKIE LOPEZ, DENISE MUELLER, STEPHANIE LOPEZ,

[01:30:07]

I'M A RESIDENT HERE IN COACHELLA. I HAVE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE. THIS PLACE IS WHAT I CONSIDER AND WILL ALWAYS CONSIDER HOME. I AM HERE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS ONGOING TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF APPROVING THE CONSTRUCTION OF DATA CENTERS.

BUT WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON, I ALSO APPROACH THIS PODIUM WITH HOPE. HOPE THAT TIDES MAY BE TURNING, AND THAT MAYBE ALL OF YOU MAY HAVE STARTED NOTICING BY NOW JUST HOW DETRIMENTAL IT WOULD BE IF WE APPROVED THESE DATA CENTERS HERE IN OUR CITY OR IN OUR COUNTY, FOR THAT MATTER. AND NOT JUST FROM EVERYONE HERE THAT HAS SPOKEN BEFORE AND AFTER ME AT THESE MEETINGS, NOT JUST FROM THE HUNDREDS OF EMAILS YOU GUYS HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT THIS TOPIC, BUT SIMPLY FROM EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY RELATING TO THIS TOPIC IN LAKE TAHOE, IN VIRGINIA, MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, UTAH, JERSEY, TEXAS, COLORADO, ILLINOIS, VEGAS, AND ALSO NOT TO NAME A VAST AMOUNT OF SMALL CITIES AND LOCAL TOWNS IN CALIFORNIA THAT ARE BEING TARGETED TO BUILD THESE DATA CENTERS AS WELL. ALSO, I JUST RECENTLY READ, AND ALSO I OVERHEARD HOW THEY WERE SPEAKING ABOUT ADDING MORE, PROPOSING MORE DATA CENTERS FOR THERMO, WHICH I AM COMPLETELY AGAINST, AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT AS WELL. ANYWAYS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO FAR AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A DEEP DIVE SEARCH TO SEE HOW ALL OF US ARE NOT FRUSTRATED, BUT OFF ABOUT ALL OF THIS. THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITIES COMING TOGETHER TO TRY TO STOP THIS SHOULD BE ONE OF, IF NOT THE BIGGEST EXAMPLE YOU GUYS SHOULD TAKE FROM ALL THIS THAT'S GOING ON AND REALLY REFLECT ON WHY WE ARE MAD, WHY WE ARE FRUSTRATED. I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO EXPLAINING WHY HAVING THESE THESE DATA CENTERS IS A BAD DECISION, BECAUSE EVERYONE BEFORE ME AND AFTER ME MOST LIKELY IS GOING TO INFORM YOU GUYS OR REMIND YOU GUYS. A COUPLE THINGS I DO WANT TO MENTION, THOUGH, IS THE CITY OF BRAWLEY JUST RECENTLY VOTED FOR A MORATORIUM. THE CITY OF CALIPATRIA JUST RECENTLY VOTED FOR MORATORIUM. THE CITIZENS OF NEW JERSEY JUST RECENTLY SPOKE UP ENOUGH FOR THEIR STATE TO CANCEL THE BUILDING OF DATA CENTERS IN THEIR STATE AND THEIR STATE. I GIVE ALL THESE EXAMPLES TO YOU GUYS TO ENCOURAGE YOU, WELL, NOT TO ENCOURAGE, BUT TO DEMAND THE CITY OF COACHELLA TO PLEASE TERMINATE THE CONTRACT AND ADOPT THE CITY ORDINANCE FOR CITY WIDE BAN OF AI DATA CENTERS. AND HERE IN OUR HOME, PLEASE. I THINK I SPEAK FOR A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE HERE. WE DO NOT WANT ANY DATA CENTERS HERE. AND JUST SPEAKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL, PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT'S JUST GOING TO HAPPEN. IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO HAPPEN. WE DO HAVE A CHOICE ON TOP OF THAT AS WELL. I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO EXPRESS BEFORE I GO, I'M SEEING THIS PROPAGANDA GOING ON THROUGH ONLINE THAT ANY PEOPLE PROTESTING AGAINST AI DATA CENTERS ARE WORKING FOR CHINA OR ARE ANTI-AMERICAN. NO, WE ARE JUST PEOPLE THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR HOME, CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE, OUR KIDS, MY NIECES, MY FAMILY CONCERNED ABOUT EVERYONE. AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I GOT TO SAY. THANK YOU. A QUICK QUESTION HAS THIS BEEN RECORDED? RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO SHOW MY MOM THAT I CAME HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, GUYS, I'M A I'M A LOCAL RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. I'M ALSO A LOCAL COMEDIAN. AND PROBABLY PRETTY SOON I'M GOING TO BE A RESIDENT OF THE HOTTEST CITY IN CALIFORNIA. IF YOU GUYS DON'T CHANGE THIS, WHAT ARE WE DOING? IT'S 118 DEGREES DURING THE SUMMER. YOU GUYS WANT TO MAKE IT HARDER? HARDER? IT'S REALLY 118. YOU GUYS, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? 14135 OR SOMETHING. LET'S MAKE IT HARDER. LIKE, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET ART. LIKE ART, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET SIX PACK. LET'S LOOK GOOD. YOU KNOW, LIKE MY GUY BROTHER. YOU LOOK REALLY GOOD, SIR. LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. PEOPLE LOOKING HOTTER, YOU KNOW, THE TEMPERATURE, YOU KNOW. NO. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

TOUGH CROWD, TOUGH CROWD TODAY. ALSO, I JUST REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHOSE IDEA WAS TO CREATE A DATA CENTER. LIKE, CAN YOU GUYS RAISE YOUR HAND IF THAT WAS YOUR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS ARE LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DO IT OR NOT, BUT WHAT WAS YOUR IDEA, MAN? WHAT ARE YOU WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, MAN? LIKE HAVE YOU YOU DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER AT HOME. THIS THING'S OVERHEAT. THOSE THINGS. THOSE TWO ARE. ALL RIGHT. LET ME LET ME CONTINUE. BROTHER, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.

YEAH. THE COMPUTERS GET HOT. LIKE I HAVE A COMPUTER IN MY ROOM, LIKE I DON'T. I CANNOT SLEEP WITH MY COMPUTER ON, LIKE IT JUST GETS TOO HOT. BUT YOU GUYS WANT TO MAKE IT HOTTER, GUYS. LIKE THAT'S THAT'S CRAZY. LIKE MY PHONE JUST OVERHEATS JUST FROM WALKING FROM MY CAR TO CARDENAS. MY PHONE'S ALREADY TELLING ME IT'S TOO HOT, I CANNOT WORK, YOU KNOW? YOU GUYS

[01:35:04]

OH, STEPHANIE LOPEZ, THANK YOU. YES. I COME TO YOU TODAY WITH A MORE EMOTIONAL APPEAL. I COME TO YOU AS A WOMAN WITHOUT INTENT TO PROFIT OR CAPITALIZE ON LAND THAT THE MOST MARGINALIZED OF US HAVE CALLED HOME. I COME INSTEAD WITH CONCERN, CONCERN THAT THIS DATA CENTER RISKS THE VERY PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR YOU, WHO TRUSTED YOU. I COME TO YOU AS A DAUGHTER. A DAUGHTER WHO'S HARD WORKING FATHER MUST WORK IN THE RELENTLESS HEAT, WHO SERVES THE COMMUNITY BY AIDING IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOLS, HOMES AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. MUCH LIKE THIS ONE WHO COMES HOME EXHAUSTED, BEARING THE WEIGHT OF THE SUN ON HIS SHOULDERS. I COME TO YOU KNOWING THAT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW DATA CENTER AND THE SUBSEQUENT RISE IN TEMPERATURES, MY FATHER WOULD SUFFER IMMENSELY, BEARING NOT ONLY THE WEIGHT OF THE SUN, BUT ALSO THE CRUELTY OF STRONGHOLD. I COME TO YOU AS A TEACHER WHOSE STUDENTS ENJOY NOTHING MORE THAN PLAY. SOME OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES OF MY STUDENTS ARE WATCHING THEM PLAY SOCCER OR VOLLEYBALL DURING LUNCH. A LOT OF THOSE KIDS ACTUALLY WALK AROUND CARRYING THEIR SOCCER BALL, JUST WAITING TILL THEY CAN GET BACK ON THE FIELD. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STRONGHOLD WOULD RIP AWAY FROM THEM. AS YOU KNOW, THIS DATA CENTER WILL CREATE NOT ONLY HEAT BUT ALSO AIR POLLUTION, MEANING MY STUDENTS WILL SPEND AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF TIME INDOORS WHEN THEY SHOULD BE OUTSIDE PLAYING SOCCER, BALL, SOCCER, BASKETBALL, OR ON THE PLAYGROUND. ALL THINGS KIDS ARE MEANT TO BE DOING THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT STOLEN FROM THEM. I COME TO YOU AS SOMEONE WHO SEES HER STUDENTS WALK HOME REGARDLESS OF THE CONDITION OF THE WEATHER. CHILDREN WITH PARENTS WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS WHO CAN'T ESCAPE THE HEAT AND AIR POLLUTION IN THE SAME WAY THAT US ADULTS CAN RUN INTO OUR AIR CONDITIONED CARS, CHILDREN WHO WILL BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES MUCH MORE BRUTALLY THAN WE WILL.

AND IF THESE KIDS ASK WHY? AND THEY WILL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT KIDS DO. THE FAMILIAR AND CUTE QUESTIONS SUCH AS MOM, WHY IS THE SKY BLUE? OR DAD? WHY DO I HAVE TO EAT VEGETABLES WILL BECOME A BLEAK MOM. WHY CAN'T I PLAY OUTSIDE ANYMORE? OR DAD, WHY DO I NEED AN INHALER NOW? OR MOM? WHY DID MY FRIEND TELL ME OUR WATER WOULD MAKE ME SICK? AND WHEN THESE PARENTS DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS AND THEY WON'T, THESE CHILDREN WILL GROW UP AND LOOK TO YOU FOR THEM. THEY WILL ASK YOU WHY THEY ARE SICK AND WHY THEIR CHILDHOODS WERE RIPPED AWAY. AND ON THAT DAY IT IS YOU, NOT STRONGHOLD, THAT WILL HAVE TO TELL THEM WHY. THANK YOU. I'M SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW. YES, SIR. SIT DOWN ON THE GROUND. THANK YOU. JUST STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. ROMAN. IS IT WORKING? YES. COOL. ROMAN LOPEZ MOJARRAS. THANK YOU SO. GOOD EVENING. AS YOU MAY KNOW, MY NAME IS ROMAN LOPEZ MOJARRAS, AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. SO BASICALLY I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE. FIRST OF ALL, I FIND IT RIDICULOUS THAT STRONGHOLD CAN SIT RIGHT FRONT ROW WHEN WE CAN PRIORITIZE EAST VALLEY RESIDENTS SEATS RIGHT HERE. SO I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE PROUD OF YOURSELVES. I AM WELL, BE ASHAMED. SO. AS A YOUNG ADULT, I NOTICED THAT ALONG MYSELF AND OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE, WE REALLY

[01:40:09]

RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN URGING YOU ALL TO DROP THIS AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD IN MAKING THIS DATA CENTER, AS THAT COMPANY ALREADY HAS TERRIBLE HISTORY WITH PROJECTS HARMING THE COMMUNITIES. TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED Y'ALL TO DROP THIS AGREEMENT. IF THIS AGREEMENT GOES THROUGH AND THE PROJECT PROGRESSES, THIS WILL CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO NOT ONLY THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT THIS WILL CHASE AWAY ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS TO CONTINUE LIVING HERE. PLEASE, AS A RESIDENT, I. I STRONGLY URGE YOU ALL TO CONSIDER THE THE CONS OF ALL THIS. WE'RE LETTING. WE'RE LETTING PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE WORST INTEREST IN MIND RUNNING WHAT WE WANT HERE. I JUST FIND THAT EXTREMELY RIDICULOUS. SO. AND I HOPE STRONGHOLD SLEEPS WITH MANY NIGHTMARES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY'RE GIVING THEIR COMMENTS, TO NOT MAKE A COMMENT SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR FULL THREE MINUTES. AND I THINK IT'S STALLED WHEN THEY'RE HAVING PEOPLE ARE MAKING THEIR PUBLIC. THANK YOU. AND I'M JUST GOING TO STATE SOME MORE NAMES IF YOU CAN. PLEASE BE READY TO COME UP. JULIE MAGANA, JACKIE LOPEZ, DENISE MUELLER, TERESITA MAGANA, STEPHANIE, I'M SORRY. JOSE MANUEL ARREDONDO, LORRAINE AND CAROL LICHTENBERGER. IF YOU COULD JUST STATE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU GET TO THE PODIUM SO I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. THANK YOU. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF STORIES HERE TONIGHT AND HERE IS MINE. I GOT MY FIRST JOB WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD. I WAS WHAT THEY CALLED A PAPER BOY. I WORKED THE REST OF MY LIFE UNTIL I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO RETIRE. AND THEN I MOVED TO PARADISE. IN OTHER WORDS, I MOVED TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY. I LOVED IT HERE. IN JANUARY, I BOUGHT MY DREAM HOME IN LA QUINTA. NOW, IN MAY OF THAT VERY SAME YEAR, I'M FORCED TO CONSIDER WHERE I CAN GO, WHAT I CAN DO. IF PARADISE BECOMES HELL. I'VE SEEN THE VIDEOS OF PEOPLE LIVING NEAR DATA CENTERS. THEY PUT UP WITH A LOT LACK OF POWER, LACK OF WATER, HIGHER UTILITY BILLS, 24 HOURS PER DAY OF LOUD WHINING NOISE. THIS IS NOT PARADISE. THIS IS NOT WHAT I WORKED MY WHOLE LIFE TO ACHIEVE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS WHAT ANY OF US WORKED OUR WHOLE LIVES TO ACHIEVE. AND AN AWFUL LOT OF US WILL FEEL VERY TRAPPED IF THESE DATA CENTERS DESTROY OUR LIFESTYLE AND OUR PROPERTY VALUE. I DIDN'T SAVE ENOUGH FOR RETIREMENT TO MOVE INTO A HOME AND HAVE ITS VALUE WIPED OUT FOUR MONTHS LATER BY BILLIONAIRES, BY THE EPSTEIN CLASS, BY THE LIKES OF PETER THIEL AND ELON MUSK. WE KNOW THESE TO BE HEARTLESS MEN WHO ONLY CARE FOR PROFITS. WE WANT OUR LEADERS TO BE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR PEOPLE, AND WE KNOW THAT THESE PLACES WON'T BRING LONG TERM JOBS, JOBS NOT TO THIS VALLEY. THEY BECOME OBSOLETE QUICKLY. AND WHEN THEY'VE SUCKED ALL THE RESOURCES DRY, THEY'LL MOVE ON. AND SO I'M ASKING YOU, I'M BEGGING YOU, PLEASE STOP IT NOW BEFORE THEY RUIN COACHELLA VALLEY. OKAY, IF YOU CAN JUST STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. I AM JOSE MANUEL ARREDONDO. HOLA. BUENAS TARDES. I AM JOSE ROLANDO, 21 YEARS OLD, AND I HAVE LIVED IN THIS DESERT MY WHOLE LIFE. I HAVE BEEN ALL THE WAY TO 29 PALMS AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SALTON CITY AND VISTA DEL MAR. I CAN GUARANTEE ALL THE PEOPLE I HAVE MET IN THIS VALLEY WITH 100% DISAGREE WITH THIS CENTER BEING BUILT. YOU CAN HEAR THE CROWD OUTSIDE, AND YOU CAN FEEL THE ENERGY OF ALL THOSE UNABLE TO BE HERE TODAY DUE TO WORK OR ANY OTHER THING I AM. I ACTUALLY WAS WRITING DOWN TODAY BECAUSE I DIDN'T COME PREPARED, BUT I CAME TODAY FROM INDIO ALL THE WAY HERE ON MY BIKE AND I CAN'T DO THAT

[01:45:05]

PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE BIGGER PICTURE AND THE LONG TERM PICTURE. SO EVERY DATA CENTER GOING UP, EVERY SUPERCONDUCTOR BEING BUILT, EVERY WATER SOURCE THREATENED, EVERY NATIONAL FOREST BEING SOLD OR BURNED, MILLIONS OF ACRES OF RAW LAND BEING BOUGHT UP, THE 5G 4G TOWERS ERECTED, AND ALL THE SATELLITES THAT GO UP ARE FOR ONE SOLE PURPOSE TO ROUND CITIZENS UP INTO SMART CITIES. EVERY LAMP POST, EVERY REFRIGERATOR, EVERY APPLIANCE, EVERY CAR WILL HAVE SENSORS. THEY WILL BE MANIPULATED REMOTELY FROM VERY FAR AWAY. SOME 200 000 CITY FUNCTIONS WILL BE MONITORED REMOTELY.

THIS ISN'T AS MUCH ABOUT AI TAKING JOBS OR STEALING ALL OF YOUR DRINKING WATER AND ALL OF YOUR ELECTRICITY, OR TAKING OVER. THIS ISN'T ABOUT A RACE WITH CHINA. IT'S NOT ABOUT PROGRESS. THIS IS ABOUT ROUNDING CITIZENS UP IN A LIMITED, CONFINED AREA, TRACKING YOUR EVERY TRANSACTION, YOUR EVERY LOCATION, AND EVEN SURVEILLING YOUR LOYALTY TO THEIR SYSTEM. THIS WILL CONTROL WHETHER YOU EAT OR WHETHER YOUR CHILDREN LIVE WITH YOU, OR WHETHER YOU CAN TRAVEL TO A NEIGHBORING SMART CITY. THERE WILL BE NO PROTECTIONS, NO GUNS.

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WILL BE STRIPPED AWAY AND YOU'LL BE CUT OFF FROM NATURE. THESE SMART CITIES WILL BE SURROUNDED BY AN INVISIBLE SYNTHETIC FARADAY CAGE OVERLAY, WITH THE LIKES OF RADIATION THAT HUMANS CANNOT SURVIVE. WE NOW HAVE ABOUT 15,600 MICROWAVE RADIATION

[01:50:04]

IF ALL THESE TECH COMPANIES REACH THEIR ULTIMATE LONG TERM GOALS, THE N NUMBER OF SATELLITES IN ORBIT WOULD EVENTUALLY EXCEED 1.2 MILLION TO 1.4 MILLION SATELLITES.

THESE MILLION PLUS SATELLITES WILL INTERACT WITH THE MASSIVE RADIATION OF THE DATA CENTER SUPERCONDUCTORS, WHICH WILL BE POWERING AND CONTROLLING A MASSIVE GRID OF INTERNET OF THINGS AND INTERNET OF BODIES. YOUR BODIES. THESE MASSIVE SATELLITE NETWORKS AND DATA CENTERS ARE GOING TO SERVE AS THE INVISIBLE BACKBONE FOR SMART CITIES. THEY WILL CONNECT EVERYTHING FROM TRAFFIC LIGHTS TO WATER PIPES. SATELLITES CONNECT TO SMART CITIES USING A MIX OF ADVANCED SPACE HARDWARE AND GROUND TECH, 4G 5G TOWERS, AS WELL AS MASSIVE SATELLITE DISH GATEWAYS ATOP BUILDINGS. SMART CITIES ARE ALREADY OPENLY DECLARED AS A PLAN OF THESE VERY TECH BILLIONAIRE PSYCHOPATHS WHO ARE BUILDING THE DATA CENTERS. IF YOU CAN SURVIVE THE EXTREME AMOUNTS OF DEADLY RADIATION, WHICH I KNOW I WON'T, THEN YOU'LL BE NOTHING BUT A SLAVE IN A CLOSED SYSTEM. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF OR FOR YOUR CHILDREN? IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, THERE ARE ALREADY WEBSITES. WE HAVE A CHOICE AND WE CAN SAY, NO, THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO CALL. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO CALL A LIST OF NAMES AGAIN, TERESITA MAGANA, JULIE MAGANA, JACKIE LOPEZ, RENEE RUBENS, BARBARA BOGER, HOFFMAN, PORFIRIO.

GALVEZ. DIANA. REZA, ISABELLA REED. HI, MY NAME IS RENEE RUBENS. I'M A DESERT BORN AND RAISED THIRD GENERATION REGISTERED NURSE AND PROUD COMMUNITY MEMBER HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. THREE GENERATIONS OF TAKING CARE OF LOCAL RESIDENTS AND NEWBORN INFANTS WITH THE OATH TO DO NO HARM, DO NO HARM. YOUR JOB IS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE. DO YOUR JOB. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY DAY. NURSES CARE FOR PATIENTS WHOSE HEALTH IS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY LIVE IN, THE AIR THAT THEY BREATHE, AND THE HEAT THAT THEY ENDURE, AND THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. AS A NURSE, I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED BY THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON LARGE DATA CENTER COULD HAVE ON OUR AREA, AS IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE TEMPERATURES. THE STRAIN ON OUR ENERGY AND WATER RESOURCES ARE WORSENING AIR QUALITY. WE ALREADY LIVE IN A REGION WHERE EXTREME HEAT IS NOT AN INCONVENIENCE. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. HEAT TEMPERATURES INCREASE THE RISK OF THE RISK OF DEHYDRATION, HEAT STROKE, RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, CARDIAC COMPLICATIONS THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT OUR ELDERLY COMMUNITY, CHILDREN, OUR OUTDOOR WORKERS, OUR MIGRANT WORKERS AND OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. CHILDREN OUT IN THE SALTON SEA ALREADY SUFFER AT HIGHER RATES OF ASTHMA. OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES DEVELOPMENT THAT PRIORITIZES PUBLIC HEALTH ALONGSIDE WITH ECONOMIC GROWTH. WE DESERVE TRANSPARENCY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND INVESTMENT IN SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT PROTECTS THE RESIDENTS INSTEAD OF ADDING ON TO EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS.

I ASK THAT YOU CAREFULLY CONSIDER LONG TERM HEALTH IMPACTS THAT THIS PROJECT CAN HAVE ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. CLEAN AIR, SAFE TEMPERATURES, AND HEALTHY LIVING CONDITIONS ARE NOT LUXURIES. THEY MIGHT BE FOR SOME OF THE STRONG SHAREHOLDERS BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE HERE AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PUT IT IN THEIR BACKYARDS. BUT AS HEALTHCARE WORKERS, WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS THAT THEY HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE MAKE DECISIONS TODAY THAT COULD NOT COMPROMISE THE HEALTH OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TOMORROW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO READ OFF A LIST OF NAMES ONCE AGAIN JACKIE LOPEZ, BARBARA BOGER, HOFFMAN, PORFIRIO GALVEZ, DIANA. REZA, ISABELLA READ, MATTHEW WILLIAMS, RICHARD. DIAZ. I AM BARBARA BOYER HOFFMAN. I'M A RESIDENT OF CATHEDRAL CITY. I'VE LIVED IN THE DESERT AREA MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND I'VE WORKED IN THE VALLEY AS A NURSE FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS. IT'S A VERY CONCERNED CITIZEN OF THE VALLEY. I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS PROPOSED DATA CENTER PROJECT CLOSELY, THANKS TO THE HARD WORK OF AMAZING COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS HERE TONIGHT. I ALSO ATTENDED THE MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH WITH STRONGHOLD PRESENT IN WHICH THEY ANSWERED NO QUESTIONS. IT WAS EXTREMELY EVIDENT TO ANYONE IN ATTENDANCE THAT NIGHT, AS IT IS TONIGHT, THAT YOUR COMMUNITY, THE CITY YOU SERVE, DOES NOT WANT THIS PROJECT NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY AND FRAME IT. AND YET, HERE WE ALL ARE. HERE YOU ARE. COUNCIL DECIDING WHETHER TO SPEND EVEN MORE MONEY OF YOUR CITIZENS.

[01:55:01]

THIS COUNCIL GETS TO CHOOSE DEATH FOR INNUMERABLE ANIMALS AND PLANTS ON THE PROPOSED ACRES AND BEYOND. YOU, THE COUNCIL, GET TO DECIDE TO CREATE A HEAT DOME WITH TEMPERATURES UP TO 16 DEGREES HOTTER IN THE DESERT, TEMPERATURES THAT WILL AFFECT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR RESIDENTS, YOUR FARMERS, AND THE ENTIRETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. PEOPLE WILL DIE. YOUR DECISION. THE COUNCIL ALL GETS TO DECIDE THAT THE CHILDREN OF COACHELLA SPEND THEIR SCHOOL DAY BREATHING IN TOXIC FUMES FROM THE DATA CENTER JUST TWO MILES AWAY. ADD TO THAT THE HEALTH BURDEN THE CHILDREN OF THE EASTERN VALLEY ALREADY FACE.

YOUR CALL THOSE CHILDREN, ALONG WITH THE REST OF COACHELLA, ALSO LIVE AND SLEEP SURROUNDED BY THE 24 OVER SEVEN NOISE FROM THE DATA CENTER, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO HAVE BUILT YOU. THE COUNCIL ALSO GET TO MAKE THE DECISION FOR ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY TO FILL OUR DARK DESERT NIGHT SKY WITH BLAZING LIGHTS FROM THE DATA CENTER. NOBODY WANTS A LIFE AND DEATH DECISION. YOU GET TO MAKE IT BECAUSE YOU WERE ELECTED TO A CITY COUNCIL. IS THIS REALLY SOMETHING YOU'RE PREPARED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR? BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE STAKES FOR PEOPLE DECIDING ON THE FUTURE AND LIVABILITY OF THE ENTIRE COACHELLA VALLEY. YOU WERE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF COACHELLA TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF COACHELLA. NOT STRONGHOLD, NOT INVESTORS. YOUR PEOPLE HAVE MADE IT LOUD AND CLEAR. THEY DO NOT WANT THIS DATA CENTER. THE PEOPLE OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY DO NOT WANT THIS DATA CENTER. IF YOU MOVE FORWARD, IT WILL BE IN DIRECT AND DELIBERATE OPPOSITION TO YOUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU WILL HAVE TO LIVE AMONGST THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE REST OF US. BUT THE COUNCIL WILL ALSO HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE BLAME. DROP THE AGREEMENT. THANK YOU MA'AM. ORDINANCE NOW. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THE LIST OF NAMES SO THAT YOU CAN COME UP AND BE READY FOR YOUR COMMENT. PORFIRIO, GALVEZ, DIANA. REZA, ISABELLA READ, MATTHEW WILLIAMS, RICHARD DIAZ, DAVID WITTIG, AND LUCE GALLEGOS AGAIN. PORFIRIO. GALVEZ, DIANA, REZA, ISABELLA READ, MATTHEW WILLIAMS, RICHARD DIAZ, DAVID WITTIG, AND LUZ GALLEGOS, DIANA. REZA. GOOD EVENING TO THOSE AGAINST DATA CENTERS AND ONLY THOSE AGAINST DATA CENTERS. MY NAME IS DIANA AND I LIVE IN COACHELLA. I AM ADAMANTLY AGAINST AI DATA CENTERS AND SURVEILLANCE CENTERS BEING BUILT IN OUR COMMUNITY. I AM URGING THE COUNCIL TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE'S DEMANDS. WE WANT YOU TO DROP THE AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD POWER. WE WANT YOU TO IMPLEMENT AN ORDINANCE BANNING DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENTS IN COACHELLA. IT SEEMS UNFAIR TO SPEND TAXPAYER MONEY ON A REVIEW OF AN AGREEMENT THAT YOU ALREADY SIGNED OFF ON. IT TELLS ME YOU WERE INEPT IN YOUR JOB BECAUSE YOU EITHER DID NOT CONSIDER THE PEOPLE'S OPINION, AND YOU DIDN'T DO THE WORK TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PEOPLE WANTED AND WHAT WE THOUGHT BEFOREHAND. AND YOU NEVER TOOK THE TIME TO FULLY INFORM YOURSELF OF WHAT YOU WERE EVEN SIGNING UP FOR. THIS LACK OF FORESIGHT ON YOUR PART SHOULDN'T COST US MONEY. TAKE THE LOSS AND DROP OUT OF THE AGREEMENT THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER MOVED FORWARD IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF BUILDING THESE HYPER CENTERS ARE REAL DAMAGE TO OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, AND OUR FINANCIAL SECURITY. I SEE WATER USE GET ADDRESSED WITH THE IDEA THAT A CLOSED LOOP COOLING SYSTEM ANSWERS THAT ISSUE, BUT THEY ALSO REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MORE ELECTRICITY USE. IN SHORT, THE WATER DEMAND JUST ENDS UP RELOCATED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHAIN. LIKE WHICHEVER THERMAL POWER GRIDS GET USED TO POWER SUCH MASSIVE CENTERS. SO THAT'S A MOOT POINT. I'VE YET TO HEAR AN ANSWER ON THE NOISE POLLUTION AND THE FORMATION OF HEAT ISLANDS THAT WILL AFFECT OUR ECOLOGY. OUR ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, SIGNIFICANTLY, SOMETHING I THINK WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT IN A FARMING COMMUNITY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY OUR HYPOTHETICAL, OUR OUTCOMES ARE TAKEN LESS SERIOUSLY THAN THE HYPOTHETICAL OUTCOMES MADE BY STRONGHOLD. EVERY CONCERN WE HAVE MENTIONED HAS PRECEDENT TO IT. WITH EXISTING HYPER CENTERS IN THIS NATION. BUT STRONGHOLD PROVIDES YOU THIS FAIRY TALE, THESE

[02:00:05]

HONESTLY. YOU. SORRY, MA'AM. IF. WHAT WAS YOUR NAME? SO THAT I CAN MARK YOU OFF THE LIST.

THANK YOU. OKAY. SORRY. YES. JUST STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. ISABELLA REED, THANK YOU. IS THE DATA CENTER REALLY WORTH THE WELL-BEING OF RESIDENTS? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A VOICE FOR US, BUT INSTEAD, YOUR SILENCE AND REFUSAL TO ADDRESS THE GENERAL VETO TOWARDS THE DATA CENTER HAS LEFT OUR VOICES HUSHED. AS ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU NOT ONLY HAVE A LEGISLATIVE OBLIGATION, BUT ALSO A MORAL OBLIGATION TO BE IN FAVOR OF RESIDENTS. THREE PETITIONS ARE CIRCULATING, ONE OF THEM WITH ALMOST 7500 PEOPLE HAVING PETITIONED AGAINST THE DATA CENTER. IF WE CONTINUE TO BE UNHEARD AND IGNORED, OUR NEXT PETITION WILL BE FOR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. YOU ALL VOTED ON THE P3 AGREEMENT MOVING TOWARDS THE DATA CENTER. SINCE WHEN DO WE VOTE ON THINGS THAT WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT? WE ARE ALL TOO AWARE OF THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THE DATA CENTER, AS SEEN IN THE J, L, A, R C REVIEW AND MANY OTHER RESOURCES. IMMENSE INCREASE IN ENERGY DEMAND, DANGEROUS EMISSIONS INTO THE AIR AND WATER AND NOISE POLLUTION ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ADVERSE IMPACTS SEEN IN OTHER STATES.

AGAIN, WITH THIS INFORMATION ALREADY KNOWN, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE RESIDENTS FAVOR IN MIND. IT'S INSANE THAT YOU WOULD EVEN CONSIDER THE P3 AGREEMENT WITH THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DATA CENTERS. SO WELL KNOWN. ID HAS ALREADY IMPOSED RATE INCREASES FOR ELECTRICITY DUE TO THE POWER GRID SYSTEM BEING SO OLD THAT IT MUST BE UPDATED TO MAINTAIN ELECTRICITY IN THE SUMMERTIME. UNDER THAT CONDITION, WE ARE FORCED TO CONSERVE ELECTRICITY, AND WE ARE OFTEN ISSUED FLEX ALERTS AS WELL. THE DATA CENTER WOULD ROUGHLY CONSUME 600MW OF ELECTRICITY PER DAY, WHICH APPROXIMATES TO 600 000 HOMES USING ELECTRICITY PER DAY, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONLY ABOUT 155,000 HOMES IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND COACHELLA ALONE, THERE'S ROUGHLY 13,000 HOMES USING ELECTRICITY. LET THAT SINK IN. ON AVERAGE, A DATA CENTER USES BETWEEN 300,000 TO 500, SORRY, TO 5 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER A DAY, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO A TOWN OF 10,000 TO 50,000 RESIDENTS A DAY. THE DATA CENTER WOULD BE SORRY. EXCUSE ME. THE DATA CENTER BEING PROPOSED JUST TWO MILES FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

EDUCATION, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT FOR MANY YOUNG CHILDREN IS AT RISK. ANYTHING FOR THE CASH COW, THOUGH, RIGHT? TO PUT IT PLAINLY, THE DATA CENTERS CAUSE DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON RESIDENTS, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE UP TO ME TO INFORM YOU ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF YOUR DECISIONS. THAT'S YOUR JOB. LASTLY, I WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT. IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU CLAIM TO CARE ABOUT THE YOUTH MAKING PROCLAMATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.

WHEN YOU'RE WILLING TO PLACE A DATA CENTER TWO MILES AWAY FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE SAYING NO AND YOUR ANSWER IS STILL YES SPEAKS TO YOUR TRUE INTENTIONS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS. IN SUMMARY, WE'RE SAYING NO, THANK YOU. SPEAKER. RICHARD DIAZ, RICHARD DIAZ. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME IS RICHARD DIAZ. I'M A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER FOR THE COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS YEAR, I TURNED 70 YEARS OLD. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. I WROTE SOMETHING OUT. BUT AFTER LISTENING TO EVERYONE HERE, IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE THAT THANK YOU YOUNG PEOPLE FOR WATCHING OUT FOR US HERE IN THE VALLEY.

THANK YOU. IT'S YOU KNOW, I'M A SCHOOL TEACHER, BUT I'M THE ONE GETTING THE EDUCATION HERE.

THANK YOU. IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE TO SEE YOUNG PEOPLE, TO SEE THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY JUST RISE UP TO, TO TAKE BACK WHAT'S THEIRS AND TO DO IT IN A WONDERFUL CIVIC FASHION HERE.

OKAY. DATA CENTERS IN THIS LOCATION, THE COACHELLA VALLEY. WE ALL AGREE IT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA. SHOULDN'T EVEN BE CONSIDERED DATA CENTERS. THEY'RE STRUCTURAL VAMPIRES.

THEY TAKE OUR PRECIOUS WATER FROM THE VALLEY TO COOL THEM. BUT NO. WHO NEEDS WATER RATIONING? HIGHER WATER BILLS? YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY IN A COMPROMISED ENVIRONMENT. THE DESERT. OKAY, OUR ELECTRICITY, BROWNOUTS, BLACKOUTS, BLACKOUTS, HIGHER UTILITY ELECTRICAL BILLS

[02:05:03]

COACHELLA VALLEY DESERVES BETTER AS AN ORGANIZING AS AN ORGANIZATION HAS SEEN FIRSTHAND IN THE WEST END OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY IN PARIS, CALIFORNIA, WHERE THESE TYPES OF WAREHOUSES DEVELOPMENTS HAVE DESTROYED OUR FARMLANDS AND ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS HAVE HARMED OUR LOCAL RURAL COMMUNITIES. SO MAY WE MAY PREVENT SITUATIONS THAT WILL HARM OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THESE DEVELOPMENTS CREEP UP IN OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WITH EMPTY PROMISES, DESTROYING OUR CITIES AND DISRUPTING OUR

[02:10:02]

LEBANON INDIANA HAS BECOME A FLASHPOINT OVER AI DATA CENTER DRIVEN ELECTRICITY DEMAND.

INDIANA ELECTRICITY PRICES ROSE APPROXIMATELY 11.5% IN A SINGLE YEAR, ONE OF THE LARGEST INCREASES IN THE ENTIRE MIDWEST. THE WASHINGTON POST HAS REPORTED THAT WHILE ELECTRICAL PRICES HAVE RISEN SHARPLY IN MANY AREAS, THAT THE DATA CENTERS HAVE ALSO NEGOTIATED PREFERENTIAL INDUSTRIAL POWER ARRANGEMENTS, THIS IS RAISING CONCERNS AMONG CONSUMER ADVOCATES THAT POSSIBLE COSTS WILL BE SHIFTED TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO PICK UP THE COST THAT THESE BILLION DOLLAR BASTARDS ARE SPENDING TO CAUSE THIS DISRUPTION IN OUR COMMUNITIES. ALSO, EVEN MICROSOFT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC CONCERN AND PLEDGED TO PAY HIGHER UTILITY RATES TO AVOID SHIFTING THE COSTS OF RESIDENTS. SO IF MICROSOFT CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COST, WHY CAN'T WE HEAR? FURTHERMORE, WE ARE FIGHTING FOR EVERY SINGLE DROP OF WATER THAT WE HAVE. WE'RE ALREADY EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS HERE IN COACHELLA VALLEY. WE ARE ALREADY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE COLORADO COLORADO RIVER WATER AGREEMENTS. THERE HAVE BEEN ALL SORTS OF TRIBAL WATER ALLOCATION PRESSURES AND OTHER DISPUTES INVOLVING THOSE THOSE WATERS. AND GOOGLE'S COUNCIL BLUFFS CAMPUS REPORTEDLY CONSUMES APPROXIMATELY 3.7 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY. METAS LOS LUNAS CAMPUS HAS BEEN PERMITTED TO USE ROUGHLY 447,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY. WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO TO OUR AQUIFERS? WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO TO THE HEAT CENTERS? ONE QUICK THING. THANK YOU SIR. THE THE TEMPERATURE HIKE HAS INCREASED BY 3.6°F, WITH SOME INCREASING AT 16.4. AND THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE, NOT SUBSIDE AT THAT POINT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. JUST GIVE ME YOUR NAME AND THEN I'M MIREYA. OKAY. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ A LIST OF NAMES. ONCE AGAIN. ASHBY, THOMAS, OLIVIA, ANA CARRILLO, JUAN AGUILAR.

ELVIA BRAVO. AGAIN, IT'S ASHBY. THOMAS. OLIVIA. ANA. CARRILLO. JUAN. AGUILAR. ELVIA. BRAVO. I ALSO HAVE A REQUEST TO SPEAK WHEN I'M HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME READING THIS NAME. IT MAY BE WRAY OR MAY WITH LAST NAME. STARTING WITH THE LETTER A. THANK YOU. OKAY. MY NAME IS

[02:15:02]

DATA CENTERS REQUIRE AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WATER. WE ALL KNOW THAT. AND ELECTRICITY IN OUR EXTREME DESERT HEAT. KEEPING THESE SERVERS COOL WILL STRAIN OUR POWER GRID AND RISK SUMMER BLACKOUTS, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE. OKAY, THAT'S WITHOUT DATA CENTERS. AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, LOCAL FAMILIES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SIT IN THE DARK JUST TO KEEP CORPORATE DATA SERVERS COLD.

WORSE, THE INDUSTRIAL COOLING CREATES LOCALIZED HEAT. DRIVING UP ON OUR OWN AIR CONDITIONING COSTS, WHILE THEIR MASSIVE BACKUP DIESEL GENERATIONS WILL PUMP UP TOXIC AIR POLLUTION RIGHT INTO OUR VALLEY. OUR RESIDENTIAL WATER AND POWER BILLS WILL SKYROCKET JUST TO PAY FOR THEIR CORPORATION INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES. OUR FAMILIES SHOULD NEVER FACE THE FEAR OF DIRTY AND SCARCE WATER JUST TO. JUST SO TECH GIANT CAN HAVE CLEAN WATER. FINALLY APPROVING THIS MASSIVE PROJECT WITHOUT A FULL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT DIRECTLY VIOLATES THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT. WE DEMAND A COMPLETE, TRANSPARENT AND INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT GIVE AWAY THE INFRASTRUCTURE THIS COMMUNITY BUILT, PROTECT OUR LOCAL RESOURCES, PROTECT OUR WATER, PROTECT OUR FAMILIES AND DEMAND. AND I DEMAND AN EIR BEFORE HANDING OUR VALLEY OVER TO THE OUTSIDE DEVELOPERS. AND IF YOU CAN SEE HIS FACIAL. SINCE I HAVE A FEW MORE SECONDS, IF YOU CAN SEE HIS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, YOU KNOW THAT HE AND THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT NO ONE HERE BUT THEIR MONEY. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL CARED ABOUT THAT MONEY BEFORE SIGNING ON. AND IT'S HORRIBLE. IT'S HORRIBLE WHAT YOU GUYS DID. AND IT'S A DISGRACE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NOW, IF WE CAN KEEP YOUR COMMENTS, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU.

IF YOU CAN JUST STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. NAME'S ASH, BORN AND RAISED HERE IN COACHELLA. SO THIS RIGHT HERE, THIS GUY RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE CEO OF STRONGHOLD POWER, SCOTT BAILEY.

WE COULDN'T HEAR IT OUTSIDE. BUT SCOTT SAID IN THIS ROOM HE IS NOT ASHAMED. HE'S PROUD OF HIMSELF. STRONGHOLD STARTED THEIR OWN WEBSITE, ADELANTE COACHELLA. THEY'RE USING SPANISH TO TRY TO ATTRACT THE SPANISH SPEAKERS OF COACHELLA. BUT THEIR PROJECT WOULD NOT MOVE US ADELANTE OR FORWARD. AS THEY SAY. HOWEVER, IT'LL THROW US DOWN INTO DISASTER FOR THEIR PROFITS. SOULLESS, INHUMANE MONSTERS. HONESTLY, STRONGHOLD HAS GOTTEN CONTRACTS TO BUILD PRISONS AND TO BUILD AN ELEVATOR AT A DETENTION CENTER. THEY'VE HAD TO PAY $2.5 MILLION TO SETTLE A LAWSUIT FOR FRAUD. THIS IS WHO YOU HAVE A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH.

BACK WHEN RESIDENTS FIRST CAME HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THESE PLANS ON APRIL 8TH, THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO ENTERED OUR COMMUNITY PREP BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

STUCK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB. HE GAVE US HIS NAME AND REAL NUMBER, LIKE A LIKE A MORON.

THAT WAS JONATHAN AVILA RIGHT THERE, SMILING, RAISING HIS HAND. HE IS THE BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF STRONGHOLD. THAT SMALL GUY IN AN UGLY BROWN SHIRT. THESE PEOPLE ARE INFILTRATING OUR COMMUNITY SPACES. THEY ARE THREATENED BY OUR PEOPLE'S OUTRAGE AND CONTINUED ORGANIZATION TO STOP THEIR PLANS. WHY? BECAUSE THEY GET 92% OF THE PROFITS FROM THESE PLANS AND THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT MONEY. MEANWHILE, THE CITY UTILITY, NOT THE CITY. THE CITY UTILITY ONLY GETS 8%. YOU ALL SOLD US FOR 8%. SHAMEFUL ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH OF A WORD TO CONDEMN WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN STRONGHOLDS. AI GENERATED WEBSITE AND FLIERS MADE BY THIS GUY RIGHT HERE IN THE WHITE SHIRT WHO'S FALLING ASLEEP.

THEY CLAIM THAT THEY CREATE. THEY'LL CREATE 800 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, ONE THAT'S NOWHERE IN ANY OF THE AGREEMENT. IT'S AN EMPTY PROMISES TO. WHAT GOOD WILL THESE HOUSING UNITS

[02:20:02]

WE'LL FIGHT ENDLESSLY UNTIL OUR DEMANDS ARE MET OR MET. STRONGHOLD. POWER. SCOTT.

BAILEY. EXCUSE ME. NO, MA'AM. WE CAN REFRAIN FROM USING PROFANITY. PLEASE. DECORUM.

RIGHT. WE DID HAVE IT. KEEP IT CLEAN. NO VULGARITY OR COMMENTS LIKE THAT, PLEASE. THANK YOU.

GOOD TO GO. ALL RIGHT, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TOMAS OLIVA, A STAKEHOLDER OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. AND I AM HERE TO PLEASE ASK YOU TO END ANY EFFORT THAT YOU HAVE WITH DATA CENTERS COMING TO THE CITY OF COACHELLA. THE REASON IS BECAUSE, AS MANY SPEAKERS HAVE SAID, THIS DATA CENTER WOULD IMPACT NOT ONLY YOUR RESIDENTS, BUT WOULD IMPACT THE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE THE OUTSIDE UNDERLYING AREAS. AND THESE ARE AREAS THAT ARE UNINCORPORATED. THESE ARE AREAS THAT ARE DISADVANTAGED, THAT ARE VULNERABLE. THERE IS NO STUDY THAT I HAVE READ IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES THAT ANYONE HAS EVER SENT ME THAT WOULD STATE THAT A DATA CENTER HAS BENEFITED THEIR COMMUNITY. EVERY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WILL TELL YOU THAT THESE WILL CONSUME RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF WATER. IT WILL CONSUME RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF ENERGY. IT WILL IMPACT THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY. IT WILL IMPACT YOUR CHILDREN. IT WILL IMPACT THE AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT IN TERMS OF HEAT. IT WILL IMPACT NEGATIVELY THE AIR QUALITY. YOU COULD BELIEVE IT. AND I ASK YOU TO PLEASE DO THE HOMEWORK SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NOT A SINGLE STUDY THAT I HAVE READ THAT SAYS THAT THIS WILL IMPROVE. I ASK YOU TO PLEASE YOUR COMMUNITY AND THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN REVENUE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY ENTERTAINING THIS CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT. IT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU WITH POTENTIAL REVENUE THAT WOULD COME TO THE CITY. THE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN JOBS AND THEIR CHILDREN'S QUALITY OF LIFE. THAT IS NOT A POSITION THAT WE WANT TO FIND OURSELVES. AND I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND JOBS, FIND INDUSTRY THAT IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT THIS, DIFFICULT THIS WITH THIS AMOUNT OF GRAVITY. AND SO I KNOW YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT CHOICE FOR ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT I'VE SAT IN SEATS THAT YOU HAVE ARE SITTING IN NOW. AND I ALSO FACE THE DIFFICULT CHOICE. WHEN I WAS TOLD TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY FOR THE HOSPITAL THAT I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF, I DIDN'T DO THAT. ALL THE CONSULTANTS SAID THAT WAS THE EASIEST THING TO DO, BUT IT WOULD CAUSE PROBLEMS. AND SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. YOU COULD HEAR THE VOICES OUTSIDE. PLEASE GO OUT AND SEE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WOULD STAND WITH YOU, THAT WOULD STAND BY YOUR SIDE, THAT WOULD SUPPORT YOU IN PUSHING BACK WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD COST THE CITY MONEY TO BREAK THE CONTRACT. I'M PRETTY SURE THOSE FOLKS WOULD BE FINE, BECAUSE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE IMPACT THAT IT WOULD CAUSE ON YOUR CITIZENRY. SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE INTRODUCE A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS IN YOUR CITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JUST GIVE ME JUST ONE MOMENT. I'M GOING TO CALL A LIST OF NAMES. YOU'RE UP NEXT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. ANA CARRILLO, JUAN AGUILAR, ELVIA. BRAVO, CLAUDIA. ALVARADO, ISABEL ELENA RODRIGUEZ AND SCOTT BAILEY. AGAIN, THAT IS ANA CARRILLO, JUAN AGUILAR, ELVIA BRAVO, CLAUDIA ALVARADO, ISABEL ELENA RODRIGUEZ AND SCOTT BAILEY.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PRECIOUS HURST. YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE FEELING BAD BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE IN YOU GUYS. I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. I, I KNOW IT. YOU GUYS ARE PEOPLE FROM THE VALLEY. I'M SPEAKING TO YOU AS A PERSON. THAT'S ALSO FROM

[02:25:02]

IT'S A NICE PLACE. THERE'S A NICE, NICE VENUES OUT THERE. THERE'S LITTLE RANCHES OUT THERE. THAT'S A REALLY NICE PLACE TO HAVE LIKE A, A WEDDING, QUINCEANERA OR WHATEVER THAT'S GOING TO BE RUINED BY THAT DATA CENTER. AND YOU GUYS, I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, LIKE I SAID, I'M SORRY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS ABUSE. IT SUCKS. BUT I'M ALSO GOING TO SPEAK TO YOU AS JUST A REGULAR PERSON WHO LIVES IN COACHELLA. I PRAY EVERY TIME THE BLACKOUTS COME THAT, OH GOD, PLEASE LET IT COME BACK IN AN HOUR OR LESS. THE THE THE ELECTRICITY BECAUSE OF THE HEAT. LIKE I HAVE TO WAKE UP EARLY THE NEXT DAY TO GO TO WORK. I HAVE THREE JOBS.

I, I NEED A, I NEED, I NEED MY SLEEP. AND THEN I THINK LIKE, OH, WELL, THANK GOD I WASN'T IN THE MIDDLE OF A SHOWER WHILE THIS BLACKOUT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT REALLY SUCKS.

SO I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN. I FEEL LIKE ALSO, I DON'T WANT TO BE HEARING THAT LOUD BUZZING SOUND. WE ALREADY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE 5G TOWERS. THAT'S LIKE SO MUCH RADIATION. WE DON'T WANT MORE. AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS PROBABLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IN THAT MOMENT, YOU GUYS PROBABLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WERE VOTING FOR, BUT NOW I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IT REALLY CLEAR, AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I HAVE FAITH IN YOU GUYS, AND I HAVE FAITH IN GOD FOR YOU GUYS TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AND I KNOW GOD'S GOING TO BE ON YOUR SIDE BECAUSE WHATEVER THE ENEMY PLANS FOR EVIL, GOD WILL TURN AROUND FOR GOOD AND HE WILL DEFEND YOU IF YOU DO THE RIGHT THING. YOU GUYS HAVE THE GOD OF ISRAEL STANDING BEHIND YOU, SO YOU GUYS ARE GOOD. YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO FEAR. YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO FEAR PEOPLE THAT HAVE MONEY, BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE THAT HAVE MONEY HAVE POWER. I GET THAT, BUT GOD IS A GOD OF POWER AND HE'S BEHIND YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS WILL DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE PUBLIC. I KNOW IT, YOU GUYS ARE GOOD PEOPLE AT HEART. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOOD PEOPLE. ALL OF YOU, I KNOW IT. THANK YOU SO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RAY ANZALDUA. YOU GUYS READY? RIGHT. YEAH. OKAY. I WANT TO LIFT THE MIC A LITTLE BIT. OH, YEAH.

THANK YOU. RIGHT HERE. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RAY ANZALDUA. I LIVE RIGHT HERE IN COACHELLA. DOCTOR FIGUEROA, YOU HAD MENTIONED IN A INTERVIEW WITH THE DAILY DUNES THAT THE TITLE OF MAYOR IS JUST THAT A TITLE, BUT IT'S NOT. IT'S ALSO A PROMISE, A COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE HERE OF COACHELLA. AND I JUST HOPE YOU REMEMBER THAT WHEN TAKING THIS PROJECT INTO CONSIDERATION. I KNOW IT'S CALLED THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO SERVE THE THE PEOPLE AT ALL. IT SERVES A PRIVATE PURPOSE. IT'S JUST THE UTILITY BUILT BY THE CITY. I KNOW THE BIG CONCERN WITH WATER IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IT HAS MERIT, BUT ID IS LOOKING AT EXPANDING THE CONNECTIONS WITH THE COLORADO RIVER FROM LAKE MEAD TO DELIVER WATER. JUST PARTLY FOR THIS PROJECT. AND I'M THINKING THAT WATER IS ALSO GOING TO GET ALSO REROUTED BACK TO THE SALTON SEA AFTER IT COMES THROUGH HERE, WHICH IS KIND OF WEIRD BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE POLLUTING THE SALTON SEA LIKE THAT. I'M JUST HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, IN RECENT HISTORY, JUST WEEKS AGO, THAT GARDEN GROVE HAD THAT DISASTER WITH THAT AEROSPACE COMPANY AND THAT CHEMICAL PLANT, AND THEY USED 350 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER THAT FLOWS BACK INTO THOSE SEWERS. THE EVACUATED THE COMMUNITY. I WOULD HATE TO SEE FOR A PROPOSED DATA CENTER TO HAVE A MELTDOWN, USE ALL THAT WATER TO FLOW INTO THE 800 HOUSES THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING AND DAMAGE THAT COMMUNITY. THAT WAY, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE EVACUATED. PEOPLE ARE UPLIFTED FROM THEIR HOMES. I HOPE YOU GUYS MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION IN CUTTING THIS AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD. YOU CAN HEAR THE CROWD OUT THERE. WE CAN SEE

[02:30:03]

LUA ALVARADO, ISABEL. ELENA. RODRIGUEZ. SCOTT. BAILEY, KIM. DRAPER, ELIZABETH HUMPHRIES AND JOHN KEARNEY. PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY IN TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. YOU JUST STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. HELLO, I'M ISABEL HELENA RODRIGUEZ, AND I'M SURE WE'VE ALL HEARD WHAT POTENTIALLY THE WELL, WHAT THE DATA CENTERS WILL INVOLVE A LOT OF LIGHT POLLUTION, SOUND POLLUTION, ALL OF THE POLLUTION. HOW HORRIBLE IT WILL BE FOR HERE IN THE VALLEY. WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS THAT THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE. WE KNOW WHY THESE COACHELLA VALLEY WAS CHOSEN.

YOU THOUGHT IT WAS DISADVANTAGED AND VULNERABLE. IT WAS GOING TO BE CHEAP. IT WAS GOING TO BE CHEAP LAND THAT YOU COULD ABUSE. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HEAR AND SEE THAT YOU WERE WRONG. FOR YOU, I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SAY. IT IS NOT TOO LATE UNTIL THEY ARE BUILT.

DROP THE AGREEMENT. TERMINATE THE CONTRACT ORDINANCE TO PERMANENTLY BAN DATA CENTERS IN THE DESERT. IF YOU TRULY WERE MANIPULATED INTO THE AGREEMENT, AS YOU IMPLIED IN THE BEGINNING.

I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU SHOOK THE HANDS OF THE YOUNG GIRLS THAT WERE HERE THIS MORNING, GRADUATING AND GOING OFF TO COLLEGE. CAN YOU PROMISE THEM THE FOUR YEARS THAT THEY'LL THEY'RE GONE AND COME BACK AFTER THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR EDUCATION, THAT THE VALLEY WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS THEY KNEW IT, THAT THEY WILL COME BACK TO THE VALLEY THAT THEY LOVED. KNOWING THE HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ASTHMA THAT IS IN THE VALLEY, AND THE HIGHER IT WILL GET AFTER THE ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER THAT THIS WILL CAUSE ALONGSIDE OF THE SALTON SEA IS NOT FAIR.

THANK YOU. SCOTT BAILEY. HONORABLE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. THIS MAKES ACTUALLY THE SIXTH TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL IN THE LAST NINE YEARS, WHICH I. FOR NINE YEARS I HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF COACHELLA TO SOLVE THE POWER PROBLEM THAT EXISTED ON THE EASTERN END OF THE VALLEY. WE ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT THAT THAT STARTED THROUGH A PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH OF BEING ANSWERING THE RFQ AND RFP THAT THAT YOU GUYS AUTHORIZED, AND IN TURN WERE SELECTED OUT OF THREE OTHER COMPETITORS TO BE THE MOST QUALIFIED TO, TO, TO DO THE PROJECT. YOU KNOW, FIRST, THE PROJECT IS A POWER PROJECT.

IT'S A P3 TO CREATE A MUNICIPAL UTILITY THAT IN TURN, WE OPERATE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS.

OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT US BEING AN OUTSIDER. I LIVE HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, OKAY? I'M NOT AN OUTSIDER. I CARE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY. I CARE ABOUT THIS CITY. I, I, I, I GIVE BACK ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND I JUST, I DON'T KNOW YOU THAT KNOW ME. THAT'S ON COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRUTH OF IT AND IT, IT KIND OF SADDENS AND GRIEVES MY HEART THAT BOTH THE COUNCIL AND US ARE UNDER ATTACK TO THE LEVEL OF WHAT WE ARE FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING. AND SO QUIET. PLEASE FORUM IN THE IN THE ROOM, PLEASE. YOU KNOW, BE NOTHING YOU DO. YEAH, BUT WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. NO YOU DON'T ACTUALLY. BECAUSE PLEASE CONTINUE FORCING INFORMATION THAT'S BEING BEING PUT OUT THERE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT. AND I'M OFFERING TO THE TO THE COUNCIL SCHEDULE US TO COME IN AND DO A, A P THREE UPDATE THAT WE WILL FULLY DEFINE EVERYTHING AND WHERE IT'S AT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE DIESEL GENERATION, BUT EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT IT. WE DON'T WE HAVE A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM THAT, YES, IT TAKES WATER TO CHARGE IT THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE

[02:35:01]

FOLLOWING CLAUDIA IS ANNA CARRILLO. JUAN AGUILAR, ELVIA BRAVO, KIM DRAPER, ELIZABETH HUMPHREYS AND JOHN CARNEY. ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S ANNA CARRILLO, JUAN AGUILAR, ELVIA BRAVO, KIM DRAPER, ELIZABETH HUMPHREYS AND JOHN CARNEY. THIS IS ONE FOR EACH. ALL RIGHT. SO MY NAME IS CLAUDIA ALVARADO. OUR PROPERTY JUST GOT ANNEXED TO THE CITY OF COACHELLA DECEMBER 10TH. AND HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY EXCITED. I WAS LIKE, THIS IS GREAT. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD AND GROW. AND THEN I FIND OUT ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS, ABOUT WHAT THEY DO TO OUR WATER.

WE'RE ON A WATER WELL. LET'S GET TO THE POINT. YOU SEE THE PHOTOS THAT I JUST PASSED YOU GUYS RECEIVED? WOULD YOU GUYS WANT TO DRINK WATER LIKE THAT? IN TEXAS? IN GEORGIA, THE WATER IS BROWN, YOU KNOW, FROM THEIR WATER. WELL, I HAVE A WATER WELL, SO I'M CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, IS THAT THE WATER THAT I'M GOING TO BE DRINKING, MY KIDS ARE GOING TO BE DRINKING AND SHOWERING FROM. IN TEXAS. SAME THING. BUT THEY DID SAY WHEN THEY WHEN THEY WORKED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM, THE SAME THING HE'S SAYING, THEY SAID THE SAME THING TO THEM. AND LOOK AT THE WATER. LOOK AT THE PHOTO THAT I JUST GAVE YOU GUYS. PLEASE JUST LOOK AT THE WATER. IT'S DIRTY. IT'S BROWN. YOU THINK HOUR PALM TREES ARE GOING TO SURVIVE THIS? OUR FAMILIES, WE'RE GOING TO BE POISONED. POISONED BY THE GREAT PROJECT THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE. OH MY GOD, WHAT A GREAT PROJECT. I BELIEVE THERE'S GOOD PROJECTS. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. I, LIKE I SAID LAST TIME, I HELPED SOME OF YOU GET ELECTED. I WALKED WITH YOU, I STEPPED AND I WALKED FOR MONTHS AND GOD VOTES FOR YOU. AND THIS IS NOT FAIR. YOU GUYS ARE. YOU GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OUR PEOPLE. I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THAT HE CAN SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT. YOU DON'T KNOW ME. I'M FROM HERE. I DON'T GUESS WHAT WE ALL DONATE, WE ALL HELP. BUT THERE'S GOOD PROJECTS AND THERE'S BAD PROJECTS. AND THIS IS A TERRIBLE PROJECT. THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND TO THE CITY OF COACHELLA.

PLEASE, LET'S PIDO DE CORAZON. I ASK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, STOP THIS PROJECT, PLEASE. OUR KIDS, OUR PARKS, OUR FAMILIES DON'T NEED THIS. EVERYTHING'S GOING TO GET RUINED. AND IT'S NOT. NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT. NO, BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY SEEING IT. WE'RE SEEING IT IN TEXAS. WE ARE SEEING IT IN GEORGIA. WE'RE SEEING THE SAME ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS WITH CLOSED LOOP SYSTEMS THAT FAILED THAT ARE NOW ALL COMPLETELY RUINED. THE WATER'S RUINED, THE WATER WELLS ARE RUINED. I'M ON A WATER WELL IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. WHEN THEY ANNEXED US, THEY SAID, NO, CLAUDIA, YOU'RE GOING TO STAY ON THE WATER. WELL, UNLESS YOU PAY 1.5 MILLION TO GET THE WATER THROUGH. AND I SAID, NO, I'M GOING TO STAY WITH MY WATER. WELL, AND NOW WHAT? I'M GOING TO GET THIS, THIS THIS IS NOT A GOOD PROJECT. YOU MAY THINK THAT YOU MAY BE FROM THE DESERT. YOU MAY MAY THINK ALL YOU WANT, BUT IN THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE COMMUNITY. YOU LIVE IN COACHELLA, WE LIVE IN COACHELLA.

WE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO HURT. STOP THIS. THANK YOU. PROTECT US. THANK YOU. OKAY.

THE NAMES THAT I CALLED. IF YOU CAN JUST BE HERE AND BE READY. ANNA CARRILLO, JUAN AGUILAR, ELVIA. BRAVO. ONCE I CALL THESE NAMES AGAIN, I WON'T CALL THEM ANYMORE. SO THIS IS THE LAST

[02:40:03]

I'M DISHEARTENED BY THE NAME CALLING AND LACK OF RESPECT SHOWN IN THIS OPEN FORUM, AND ALSO WITH THE TOWN HALL THAT HAPPENED WEEKS AGO. I'M SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN BRINGING THIS INCREDIBLE PROJECT TO THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S SO MUCH MISINFORMATION CIRCULATING ABOUT THE COACHELLA MUNICIPAL UTILITY AND THE COACHELLA VALLEY TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS, INCLUDING WHO PAYS FOR IT, THE BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS.

WE WANTED TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT WITH FACTS, NOT SPECULATION OR RUMOR, AND THAT IS WHY WE LAUNCHED ADELANTE, COACHELLA.COM, A BILINGUAL WEBSITE WHERE COACHELLA RESIDENTS CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE PROJECTS AND THE BENEFIT TO COACHELLA AND ITS RESIDENTS.

WE CREATED THIS SITE TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS ASKING FOR AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS. THE PROTESTERS ARE WON'T. THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO US. WE HAVE NO VOICE. ALL YOU'RE HEARING ARE THEM AT ADELANTE COACHELLA.COM. RESIDENTS WILL FIND PROJECT FACTS, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS. A SHORT VIDEO EXPLAINING THE PROJECT UPDATES.

AS THE EIR PROCESS MOVES FORWARD AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP FOR AN EMAIL LIST TO STAY INFORMED. COACHELLA RESIDENTS DESERVE CLEAR, ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECTS OF THIS SCALE. LET'S NOT FORGET THAT THAT'S NOT FOR. FORGET THAT THIS PROJECT BRINGS IN A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY YEAR OVER YEAR FOR THE CITY AND THE. IN THIS. REVENUE CAN BE USED TO KEEP TEACHERS EMPLOYED, INVEST IN ROADS AND FURTHER PARKS AND OTHER RECREATIONAL OFFERINGS.

IT ALSO BRINGS MUCH NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE EAST PART OF THE CITY. WE ENCOURAGE COACHELLA RESIDENTS TO GO TO ADELANTE COACHELLA.COM TO LEARN MORE. AND JUST IN THE LAST 20 HOURS, WE HAVE SEEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS SIGN UP TO TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION. I'VE GOT LETTERS OF SUPPORT THAT I'M GOING TO BE PUTTING ON RECORD. AND I'M OUT OF TIME. LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY NO ONE HERE WANTS ALL OF THESE BAD THINGS TO HAPPEN. NO ONE WILL. WE'RE SMART IN THIS ROOM AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

IS IS THERE SOMEONE CONTROLLING THE OUTSIDE DOOR? MR. CITY MANAGER? IT OPENS AND CLOSES.

IS THERE A STAFF MEMBER OUTSIDE? OKAY. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. NEXT SPEAKER OKAY, I'M GOING TO CALL THE LIST OF NAMES AGAIN. I MAY HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE, BUT. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HEAR ANYTHING. SO I'M GOING TO CALL THE LIST OF NAMES. IS THERE ANYONE, IS THERE ANYONE IN HERE THAT SUBMITTED A SPEAKER CARD? CAN YOU COME UP AND STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE? IF YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET, JUST HAVE THREE PEOPLE GIVE ME YOUR NAME AND I WILL FIND YOUR SPEAKER CARD. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS JORDAN HARRINGTON. I LIVED IN THE VALLEY FOR NINE YEARS. MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE IS FROM THIS VALLEY, RIGHT? MY CHILD IS FROM THIS VALLEY.

LET'S. LET'S TAKE A BRIEF RECESS. WILL RECONVENE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT 917 AFTER A RECESS. MR. CITY ATTORNEY, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT. YEAH, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT STRONGHOLD REPRESENTATIVES ARE NO LONGER IN CHAMBERS. WE DID ASK THAT THEY LEAVE DUE TO SECURITY CONCERNS, SO THEY HAVE AGREED AND ARE NO LONGER HERE. WE WOULD REMIND THE PUBLIC TO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL, BE COURTEOUS OF ONE ANOTHER AND

[02:45:02]

YEP. OKAY. HELLO AGAIN. MY NAME IS JORDAN HARRINGTON. I'VE LIVED IN THIS VALLEY NINE YEARS.

MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER IS SEVEN. SHE'S LIVED HER WHOLE LIFE HERE. HER BEAUTIFUL MOTHER HAS BEEN HERE HER WHOLE LIFE OF 36, ALMOST 37 YEARS. I WOULD LOVE TO READ TO YOU ALL THE DEFINITION OF POWER. THE DEFINITION OF POWER IS A NOUN. IT'S AN ABILITY TO DO OR ACT, A CAPABILITY OF DOING OR ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING. I HAVE NOT LIVED HERE SO LONG, BUT I AM PROUD TO CALL THIS PLACE HOME. DURING THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS. IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, IT'S LIKE AN ESTRANGED STEPPARENTS HOUSE, BUT IT'S IT'S HOT. AND I HAD SOMEONE TELL ME WHEN IT'S 120 OUT. IT FEELS PERSONAL. AND TO THINK THAT IT MIGHT GET HOTTER, THAT ACTUALLY FEELS PERSONAL. BUT I'VE HEARD, AND I'M SURE NOW YOU ALL KNOW OR ARE BURDENED NOW WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING THAT COULD HAPPEN WITH A DATA CENTER. MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN I CAN HOLD. BUT I CARE FOR THE PEOPLE, WHICH EVERYONE IS CORRECT. YOU. YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PEOPLE. WERE THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOW EMPTY CHAIRS? THOSE ARE NOT YOUR PEOPLE. THEM OUT THERE THAT WERE THERE. THEM AND THEM AND THEM AND YOUR FAMILY AND MINE. THOSE ARE YOUR PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT WILL STAND WITH YOU IF TREATED CORRECTLY.

I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY IN AN APPEAL. I GUESS, MISS PEREZ, MISS DELGADO, MISS VIRGIN, MR. FIGUEROA. GIVE US THE POWER TO PROTECT OUR FAMILIES. PLEASE. THANK YOU. MI NOMBRE ES JUAN MANUEL MARTINEZ Y SOY UN PRESIDENTE DE LA CIUDAD, PRESIDENT OF COACHELLA. I'M SPEAKING TO YOU IN ENGLISH. IN SPANISH, TO OUR CITIZENS THAT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AND TO THOSE THAT DO SPEAK ENGLISH. I'M HERE THIS TONIGHT. I'M INSPIRED WITH THE ENERGY THAT YOU FEEL TONIGHT, THE FORM IN WHICH OUR COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED TO THIS PROJECT. IT SHOWS HOW MUCH THE PEOPLE OF COACHELLA CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. TO SEE SO MANY NEIGHBORS COOPERATING AND RAISING THEIR VOICE. IT'S A VOICE OF OUR CITY. THIS IS A VERY POWERFUL MOMENT THAT REMINDS US OF THAT. WHEN WE'RE TOGETHER, WE HAVE THE POWER TO REMAIN TOGETHER FOR OUR FUTURE AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY. IT SHOWS THAT THIS PROJECT THAT'S SO CONTROVERSIAL IS OF NO GOOD. THIS SHOWS TONIGHT HOW OUR VOICE CARRIES COLLECTIVELY. MY BIGGEST DESIRE THIS NIGHT IS THAT WE DON'T ALLOW THAT THIS ENERGY, IT BECOMES TEMPORARILY OR PASSING BY. THIS IS A NEW CHAPTER. A COACHELLA IS MORE INVOLVED IN UNISON AND INFORMED.

LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS IMPULSE TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. BECAUSE THIS CITY BELONGS TO ALL OF US. I'M GOING TO SPEAK IN ENGLISH. FOR THE LAST 19 YEARS. I UNDERSTAND CONTRACTS, I UNDERSTAND AGREEMENTS, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES. WHEN WE BREACH A CONTRACT IN AN AGREEMENT. OKAY. WHICH MEANS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SIT WITH OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND GO OVER THE CONSEQUENCES OF BREACHING A CONTRACT IN AN AGREEMENT. AND I HOPE THAT WE FIND THE BEST SOLUTION. AND IT'S NOT GOING TO COST OUR CITY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BECAUSE THEN IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABOUT WHETHER THE DATA CENTER IS GOOD OR BAD. IT'S GOING ABOUT WHAT CAN LITIGATE AGAINST THE CITY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE NOWADAYS THE LAWSUITS IS NOT ABOUT GOOD AND BAD. IT'S ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN LITIGATE. AND THAT IS VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE. AND WE DON'T WANT OUR TAX DOLLARS GOING INTO A DEFENSE AND LITIGATION. LET THIS BE A LESSON LEARNED FOR US. AND I SAY US BECAUSE I AM PART OF THE CITY. I AM A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA. WE JUST DON'T COME TO BE PRESENT. WE

[02:50:06]

WE DON'T WANT TO BE A BAD PARTNER. WE WANT THE INVESTORS TO COME BACK AND INVEST IN OUR CITY. THERE IS OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN GENERATE MONEY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH HUMPHREY. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY, AND THE SUBJECT OF THIS MEETING TONIGHT IS THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, AND I WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT VERY AGREEMENT AND SOME VERY DISTRESSING PARTS OF IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T READ THIS AGREEMENT, WHAT IT DOES IS IT BUILDS INFRASTRUCTURE. AND I QUOTE IN THE FORM OF A TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS TO BE DEVELOPED IN PHASES AND TO INCLUDE ANCHOR TENANTS, OPERATING DATA CENTERS. THIS IS ON THE VERY FIRST PAGE IN THE RECITALS. IT ALSO OUTLINES THIS PROJECT IN SECTION 2.3 A AND IN MULTIPLE EXHIBITS SHOWING MAPS AND DIAGRAMS OF THIS PROJECT. THE CITY IS TO COOPERATE. AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THIS AGREEMENT IS THAT THEY ARE TO COOPERATE WITH PERMITS. THEY ARE TO COOPERATE WITH SEQUA AND BY BEING THE AGENCY BY WHICH SEQUA IS DETERMINED AND MOST DISTRESSINGLY, THE CITY IS TO COOPERATE IN MITIGATING ADVERSE IMPACTS TO LOCAL RESISTANCE. THE CITY OF COACHELLA HAS ENTERED ITSELF INTO AN AGREEMENT WHERE IT MUST ADVOCATE AGAINST ITS OWN PEOPLE.

THE TECH CAMPUS IS TREATED ALMOST AS IF IT IS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION. THE CITY ADVOCATING FOR IT RATHER THAN ITS RESIDENTS. THE BIG SELLING POINT TO THE CITY OF COACHELLA, BEYOND TAXES IS THE EVENTUAL OWNERSHIP TRANSFERRED AT THE END OF THE TERM. THE TERM FOR THIS AGREEMENT IS DEFINED AS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UTILITY OPERATIONS, AND THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS TO EXTEND A FIVE YEAR PERIODS. EARLY TERMINATION IS POSSIBLE, BUT IT COMES WITH VERY HEAVY FINES, INCLUDING PAYMENT TO THE PROVIDER, WHICH IS STRONGHOLD FOR OPERATING LOSSES. THE FURTHER THIS GETS ALONG, THE WORSE THE CONSEQUENCES ARE FOR THE CITY OF COACHELLA AND FOR THE RESIDENTS OF COACHELLA ALSO IS FOR THE VERY ARDUOUS TERMS, INCLUDING THE CITY BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL DAMAGES CAUSED TO THIS DATA CENTER BY WILDFIRES. THAT PUTS THE CITY AND THE RESIDENTS AND THE TAXPAYERS AT HUGE RISK FOR NO MORE THAN A PAYOUT. 20 YEARS FROM NOW. DATA CENTER DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN DOING BACK DEAL DOORS, BACK DOOR DEALS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT THEY ARE MAKING PROMISES THAT THEY DO NOT KEEP AND THAT NO ONE IS HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO KEEP. TOWNS ACROSS AMERICA DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS. AND THE CITY OF COACHELLA AND THE RESIDENTS OF COACHELLA ARE DEMANDING BETTER THAN THIS CITY COUNCIL. YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS RIGHT AND TO DO RIGHT BY YOUR RESIDENTS AND BY YOUR CONSTITUENTS. I URGE YOU TO DO SO AND TO FIND A LEGAL WAY OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PAULA, A SHORT ONE MINUTE RECESS. BRIEFLY. THE COUNCIL HAS TO TALK INDIVIDUALLY. I NEED TO TAKE A BRIEF RECESS REALLY FAST. APOLOG OKAY. WE'RE READY TO COME BACK. OKAY. WE ADJOURN BACK TO SESSION AT 9:34 P.M. I WILL CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHTY. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JAMES RODRIGUEZ AND I AM PRETTY MUCH GOING TO ECHO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID. THERE ARE PLENTY OF ISSUES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TALKED ABOUT.

HOWEVER, THE ONE THING THAT HASN'T BEEN TALKED ABOUT IS WHY YOU'RE DOING IT. IT'S NOT ABOUT STRONGHOLDS. IT'S NOT ABOUT US GETTING A MUNICIPAL UTILITY. IT'S ABOUT YOU GUYS MAKING 50% OF THE BUDGET IN ONE YEAR, $21 MILLION POTENTIALLY TO FIX YOUR SHORTFALLS. THIS IS A SCAPEGOAT SITUATION WHERE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO PUT THIS ON THE DATA CENTER TO TRY TO FIX YOUR OWN FINANCES, AND THAT IS GOING TO HAVE MEASURABLE EFFECTS TO US. IT MIGHT NOT BE 16 DEGREES, AS

[02:55:02]

YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT, DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY. THESE DATA CENTERS, THEY PULL A MILLION GALLONS A DAY OF WATER. IT'S ALL ONLINE. IT'S ALL ONLINE. THERE'S DATA CENTERS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OVER A THOUSAND ALREADY. WE SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING. THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE. IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING. DO YOU WANT TO TURN ON YOUR WATER AND NOTHING COMES OUT? THAT'S HAPPENING IN TEXAS. WE ALL HAVE CHILDREN HERE. YOU HAVE HEARTS. JUST DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY. THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WATER. CASE CLOSED. IT'S LITERALLY THAT SIMPLE. I HAVE MORE THAN FAITH WITH YOU. I SEE YOUR HEART. I SEE YOUR SOUL. I KNOW YOU WILL STOP THIS. I KNOW YOU WILL. I HAVE FAITH IN YOU. I KNOW YOU VALUE CHILDREN. I KNOW YOU VALUE YOUR OWN LIFE. I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO IN THE SUMMERTIME? YOU JUST SWEAT, RIGHT? YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO OUTSIDE. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THAT'S 136 DEGREES? I MEAN, TALK TO A AUTO MECHANIC. CARS ARE BUILT TO COOL THE CAR DOWN BY 20 DEGREES. LET'S ADD THAT ON. IF IT'S 130 DEGREES, IMAGINE HOW MUCH AC, HOW MUCH ELECTRICITY EVERY SINGLE PERSON

[03:00:02]

HAVE YOU STOPPED TO THINK ABOUT WHY? BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT WE'RE VULNERABLE. THEY THINK THAT WE WON'T STAND UP FOR OURSELVES. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THEY THEY BANK ON YOUR INABILITY TO DO YOUR JOB AND DEFEND YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THAT'S WHAT THEY BANK ON. THEY BANK ON YOU NOT BEING SMART ENOUGH TO, TO, TO GET OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT AND DISAPPROVE THIS, THIS PROJECT. DO YOU THEY'RE BASICALLY LAUGHING IN YOUR FACE AND THEY'RE LAUGHING IN OURS. AND THERE IS A RIGHT DECISION AT THE END OF THE DAY OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE HEARD OUT HERE AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE IN HERE HOLDING UP THEIR SIGNS, YOU KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT, WHAT WHAT THE RIGHT PATH IS. AND I HOPE THAT YOU TAKE IT BECAUSE IF NOT, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO PUT A NAIL IN A COFFIN THAT YOU DUG. YOU DON'T JUST REPRESENT. LOOK, I JUST CAME BACK FROM COLLEGE AND I HAD THE LUXURY OF BEING SOMEWHERE THAT HAS GREAT WEATHER. WHEN I CAME BACK HERE, THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS A TERRIBLE WEATHER THAT WE HAVE OUT HERE. THE HEAT, HOW TERRIBLE IT IS AND HOW SICKENING IT IS. BUT I HAVE THE LUXURY TO GO INTO A HOME THAT HAS AIR. WHAT ABOUT YOUR YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT AREN'T HOUSED, THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREETS, THAT ARE ROAMING AROUND? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM WHEN THIS DATA CENTER IS PROPOSED AND OUR HEAT GETS SO MUCH WORSE, THEY'RE GOING TO COOK ALIVE AND THEIR DEATHS WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS. AND IT MAY SEEM THAT I'M GOING TO THE EXTREME, BUT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO THE EXTREME. THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE GENUINELY AT RISK, AND WE DON'T NEED AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW TO KNOW THAT THIS DATA CENTER WILL KILL US AND KILL YOUR PEOPLE. WE ARE KNOWN FOR BEING A FARM WORKING VALLEY FOR OUR VALLEY, PRODUCING THE AMOUNT OF FOOD AND THE AMOUNT OF AGRICULTURE THAT WE PRODUCE. WHAT ABOUT THEM? WHAT ABOUT THEM THAT ARE SENDING OUT THEIR PICKING THAT FOOD, PICKING THE FOOD THAT YOU GET TO SIT DOWN AND EAT? THEY'RE GOING TO COOK ALIVE TOO.

WE HAVE SO MANY DEATHS AND SO MANY SICKNESSES FROM THE FROM THE HEAT IN THIS VALLEY. AND THAT NONPROFIT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO HOLD BEAT THE HEAT SEMINARS TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO BEAT THE HEAT. THAT'S THAT'S NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING WHEN OUR WHEN OUR TEMPERATURE IS 130. BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE TRYING. AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL TRY TO.

BECAUSE IT IS ABSOLUTELY DISHEARTENING THAT. ME, I HAVE TO COME BACK FROM FROM MY COLLEGE AND COME AND FIGHT FOR MY VALLEY BECAUSE YOU GUYS CAN'T. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MY TIME STARTS. I WOULD LIKE TO PUBLICLY NOTICE THAT MY RIGHTS AS A DISABLED PERSON WERE VIOLATED. BOTH. WELL, ACTUALLY ALL THREE THINGS THE BROWN ACT, SECTION 504 AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT WAS VIOLATED TODAY. AT THIS MEETING, I CAME I ASKED FOR A DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION. IT WAS DENIED. I SAT OUTSIDE AND TO THAT EXACT NOTE, THE CONFUSION AND THE MASS CHAOS THAT ENSUED OUTSIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED ENTIRELY IF THERE HAD BEEN DISABILITY ACCESS TECHNOLOGY, SUCH AS CLOSED CAPTIONS. IF YOU CAN'T FIT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, YOU MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR ALL. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM STATING, EXCUSE ME, RECLAIMING MY TIME. LISTEN, YOU HAVE YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, MA'AM. I'M SORRY, BUT YOU VIOLATED MY RIGHTS. I'M PUTTING YOU ON NOTICE. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP GOING WITH YOUR BROWN ACT VIOLATIONS. MR. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT, RYAN. I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU. AND YOU'RE NOT WORKING WITH ME. YOU'RE BEHIND ON YOUR CYPRUS. ON THAT NOTE, ARE WE NOT AWARE OF HOW MANY PLACES BBQ WORKS? BECAUSE THEY WORK FOR TWO MANY DEPARTMENTS, MUNICIPALITIES,

[03:05:03]

I AM NOT PUTTING MY KIDS TO BED TONIGHT BECAUSE OF YOUR DECISIONS, THE IMPACTS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. IT'S BEYOND. SO BBQ HAS, WHAT, 12, 13 DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT YOU WORK FOR.

I'VE WORKED WITH SEVERAL OF YOUR ATTORNEYS AND HAD TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. AT THIS POINT, YOU'RE THE MOST DISLIKED ONE ON MY MY PERSONAL OPINION. YOU DON'T GET TO VIOLATE SOMEONE'S RIGHTS AND THEN CUT OFF THEIR TIME. YOU SEEM TO LIKE TO WORK ON YOUR OWN TIMELINE. YOU'RE NOT HAPPY TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY WHEN YOU DON'T GIVE THEM BACK THEIR THEIR SECONDS. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PROVE ME WRONG. I'M HERE BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING, NOT JUST BY THE CITY OF COACHELLA, BUT BY THE COACHELLA VALLEY, BECAUSE THIS IS BEYOND JUST YOU. SO YOU PUT ME OUTSIDE. YOU VIOLATED MY RIGHTS, WHICH I'M TELLING YOU ABOUT. NONE OF YOU ARE SPEAKING UP TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S GIVE HER BACK HER TIME TO FINISH WHAT SHE CAME FOR. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR A WILLFUL BROWN ACT VIOLATION IS A PERSONAL MISDEMEANOR FOR EVERY MEMBER, FOR THE CITIZENS OF COACHELLA AND BEYOND. THE DA'S PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT HAS SHOWN WHAT HAPPENS ALREADY. THE FPPC TAKES SWORN COMPLAINTS. THE STATE BAR TAKES COMPLAINTS ON LAWYERS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS PUBLIC INTEGRITY JURISDICTION. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION TAKES ADA COMPLAINTS. BECAUSE I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY DISABLED PERSON OUT THERE. AND THIS CITY TAKES FEDERAL FUNDING. THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT GIVES US EVERY PERSON, EMAIL, TEXT MESSAGE. YOU JUST HAVE TO REQUEST IT. YOUR STAFF HASN'T ANSWERED THOSE. ALSO, THE MAY 11TH, YOU GUYS HAD QUORUM, RIGHT? SO NO MATTER HOW YOU SPIN THAT YOU HAD A BROWN ACT VIOLATION THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EMAIL TOMORROW. HI, MY NAME IS CLAUDIA GOMEZ. YOU GUYS SAW ME AT THE TOWN HALL. I AM A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT I'M AN THAT I'M AN EDUCATOR. IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT. IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT THESE DATA CENTERS, AND PEOPLE OUT THERE EVERYWHERE HAVE DONE THEIR RESEARCH, HAVE GIVEN IMPASSIONED SPEECHES. FIGUEROA. YOU TOLD THE DAILY DUNES THAT CITIZENS ARE KEEPING YOU ACCOUNTABLE. SORRY. WE KNOW ALL THE IMPLICATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH THESE DATA CENTERS. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NOTHING POSITIVE COMING OUT OF THEM. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NOTHING, NOTHING POSITIVE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, WITH THE HEALTH, WITH ECONOMICS, WITH THE PRIVACY THAT THESE DATA CENTERS WILL BRING. YET WE HAD PEOPLE HERE, WE HAD THE STRONGHOLD HERE JUST HALF ASLEEP, NOT EVEN LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, IS YOU WOULD GO OUT THERE AND LISTEN TO THEIR PLEAS. WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE AGAINST THIS DATA CENTER.

SORRY, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME PUBLIC SPEAKING. SO I'M A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS, BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WHAT I'M SAYING IS EVERYBODY OUT THERE, EVERYBODY IN THIS COMMUNITY, KNOW THAT THIS DATA CENTER DOES NOTHING POSITIVE. AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS TO DROP THE AGREEMENT, DROP THE AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD. BUT STRONGHOLD THE DATA CENTERS, AI.

OKAY, ANYONE? THANK YOU. ALL THOSE OUT THERE FOLLOW PEOPLE. LOOK OUT AND KNOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE MONSTERS THAT ARE TRYING TO BUILD THIS DATA CENTER IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. PLEASE, JUST A REMINDER ON THE RULES OF CONDUCT A BRIEF. IF YOU CAN REFRAIN FROM USING PROFANITY, JUST AS MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU SPEAKER. THANK YOU. I FEEL LIKE I SEE SOME OF YOU GUYS MORE OFTEN THAN MY FAMILY. SO HOPEFULLY I, YOU KNOW, I CAN GET BACK TO MY FAMILY INSTEAD OF BEING HERE. BUT ANYWAYS. THIS IS HOPEFULLY RECORDED AND THE PEOPLE SITTING HERE CAN ALSO SEE THIS SINCE, YOU KNOW, THEY ADVOCATE FOR AI. I JUST GOOGLED SOMETHING INSPIRED THROUGH THEM. PUERTA DE ATRAS TRANSLATED LITERALLY TO BACK DOOR. IN ENGLISH. IT'S COMMONLY USED IN BOTH A LITERAL SENSE, REFERRING TO A PHYSICAL ENTRANCE AND A METAPHORICAL SENSE DESCRIBING HIDDEN, SECRETIVE, UNAUTHORIZED WAY OF

[03:10:05]

IT'S NOT PERFECT. AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT SOME OF US AT SOME POINT HAVE LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER. JUST A POWER OUTAGE IN OUR HOUSE WITH NOWHERE TO BE, YOU KNOW, SAFE FROM THE HEAT. HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED HEAT EXHAUSTION OR WORSE, A HEAT STROKE? AND I DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN TO ANY OF US RESIDENTS HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY THE RELIEF THAT IT IS WHEN YOU CAN HEAR THE POWER COMING BACK AND HEARING THAT AC DURING THE SUMMER OR THAT HEADACHE JUST COMING, YOU KNOW, LOWERING DOWN ON THE NAUSEA BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE HEAT STROKE, ACCESS TO FRESH AIR IS NOT A LUXURY. IT'S A BASIC NEED. WHEN YOU'RE A FARM WORKER, A COOK, A DRIVER, A STUDENT WALKING FROM THE BUS TO YOUR HOME, AN OUTREACH PERSON, YOU KNOW, DOING SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY, FRESH AIR IS EVERYTHING. HERE'S WHAT I KNOW ABOUT DATA CENTERS. I THINK AT THIS POINT, EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS FACT ABOUT DATA CENTERS. THEY RAISE TEMPERATURES IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS. IF IT GOES HOTTER, OUR AC RUNS LONGER, OUR KILOWATT USAGE GOES HIGHER, AND OUR BILLS GO UP WITH IT. AND I AND THIS MY WALLET. WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS AND THE PEOPLE'S WALLET. WE ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. SO WHY SHOULD TAXPAYERS PAY FOR MORE POWER USAGE AND PAY MORE AND BE A MORE RISK OF POWER OUTAGES? JUST BECAUSE A CITY CHOOSE TO SUPPORT A PRIVATE CORPORATION? SO I DEMAND THE INTENSITY THAT YOU'RE PUTTING THIS TO THIS DATA CENTER, THIS INTELLIGENCE, THE BUDGET, THE STAFF TO PUT IT TOWARDS SOMETHING COMPLETELY OPPOSITE. LET'S BRING BACK ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCE PROGRAM, EXCHANGE FREE ROOF INSULATION AND WINDOW INSPECTIONS, COMMUNITY GARDENS, COMPOSTING PROGRAMS, SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, CAREERS THAT ACTUALLY PAY A LIVING WAGE. ALREADY DOING SOME OF THAT GREAT DOUBLE IT FULLY STAFF RAISE THEIR WAGES, FREE HEALTH CARE, CHILD CARE AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS. LET'S BUILD AN ECONOMY THAT IS NOT FOR SERVITUDE, BUT A COMMUNITY THAT WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND FOR THE RECORD, THAT WAS YVETTE ZAMORA.

SO IF YOU CAN PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM. THANK YOU. IT'S OKAY. I GOT YOU. YEAH. IF YOU CAN JUST STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. MY NAME IS ANNA CARRILLO. THANK YOU. AND I'M HERE AS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF COACHELLA. THIS IS MY HOME. THIS IS MY KIDS HOME.

MY PARENTS WORKED THE FIELDS HERE ALL THEIR LIVES, AND I CARE ABOUT MY COMMUNITY A LOT.

AND I'M VERY, LIKE WE ALL ARE, THAT YOU GUYS ARE. SO THAT YOU GUYS ALL SOLD OUT. SOLD OUT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLDS. YOU KNEW WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT AND YOU STILL SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH IT. YOU GUYS ARE NOT STUPID. YOU SEEM THE CRAP THAT COMES WITH DATA CENTERS.

YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT US LIKE YOU SAY YOU DO. YOU'RE NOT FOR THE COMMUNITY LIKE YOU SAY YOU DO. YOU GUYS ARE A BUNCH OF VENDIDOS. FOR HOW MUCH? FOR HOW MUCH DID YOU GUYS SELL OUT FOR? NO, DUDE. YOU ALL NEED TO DO THE CORRECT THING AND DROP THE AGREEMENT. AND MAKE A MORATORIUM TO DAMN BAN DATA CENTERS FROM OUR HOME. WE HAVE ENOUGH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TO DEAL WITH ALREADY HERE, AND THIS WILL LITERALLY KILL US OVER TIME. THE COMMUNITY HAS SPOKEN. I THINK YOU GUYS CAN HEAR THROUGH THE DOORS AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT. NO, NO NOS PODEMOS DEJAR. LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE TO GIVE A ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY. I THINK YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT WE WANT, AND WE DROP YOU. BUT YEAH, YOU. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? CRYSTAL. CRYSTAL.

OKAY, NEXT UP, AFTER CRYSTAL, WE HAVE SERENE. THEN IT'S VERONICA JUAREZ. HUMBERTO RUIZ, ANNA DIETRICH, AND MADISON MARTIN. BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE VERBAL CONFIRMATION THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO DO ITEM 17 TODAY. IT'S UNCLEAR. WELL, HOPEFULLY IT DEPENDS ON TIMING.

OKAY. WELL THAT WOULD. OKAY, THEN I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 17. RIGHT NOW WE'RE ONLY SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER 18. AND I THINK WE CAN TIE IT. TIE IT. YEAH THAT'S FINE AS LONG AS THAT'S FINE. OKAY. SO FOR ITEM 17 SO MY NAME IS CRYSTAL. I'M WITH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. I'M AN ENERGY POLICY ADVOCATE WITH THEM. AND SO I JUST WANT TO

[03:15:06]

THEY'RE HUNGRY AND THEY'RE TIRED, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN OUT THERE YELLING AND SCREAMING.

AND WHAT I'VE SEEN OUT THERE IS THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER, UNIFIED, DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES, DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. WE'RE ALL HERE TOGETHER FOR ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY. WE WANT A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR KIDS. WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR KIDS. WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR COACHELLA VALLEY. SO WHAT I ASK YOU GUYS TODAY IS TO REMEMBER HOW THE US CONSTITUTION BEGINS. WE THE PEOPLE, YOU ARE ELECTED BY US AND YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE US. WE ARE THE PEOPLE, RIGHT? WE FOUGHT AGAINST, YOU KNOW, THE ENGLISH POWERS THAT BE, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A VOICE SO THAT WHEN WE SPEAK, YOU GUYS LISTEN. I'M A MOTHER OF TWO, BUT I ALSO AM A TEACHER AT THE COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO I SEE THE KIDS THAT COME INTO OUR SCHOOLS, AND I HEAR ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE POWER OUTAGES, AND I HEAR ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY CAN'T DO HOMEWORK AT THEIR HOME BECAUSE THEY'RE DEALING WITH ALL OF THESE ISSUES. THERE ARE WAYS TO BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS GOING TO KILL OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE HAVE TO SAY NO TO THE GREEDY BILLIONAIRES, AND WE NEED TO CHOOSE OUR PEOPLE. WE NEED TO CHOOSE OUR PEOPLE. WE NEED TO PUT THE PEOPLE FIRST. PEOPLE OVER PROFITS. MY KIDS WANT TO SAY SOMETHING IN THE LAST MINUTE, SO WE SUPPORT THE.

[03:20:08]

AND WHAT DID YOU SAY YOUR NAME. MY NAME IS AWAD BEN HAMADI. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ALYSSA BEN HAMADI. BUENAS NOCHES. HUMBERTO RUIZ. YO DEL CONSIGLIO Y LA GENTE ESTA AQUI. NOSOTROS DE UNA MANERA DE LOS PADRES EN LO BUENO Y LO MALO EN LA VIDA USTEDES COMO PERSONAS ADULTAS PERSONAS TIENEN UNA POSICION. MALO ESTA PASANDO POR NOSOTROS ES BUENO PARA NOSOTROS USTEDES FAMILIA. ESTO ES BUENO. LAS PERSONAS AQUI SON LAS PERSONAS TIENEN DINERO. ESO NO IMPORTA USTEDES Q K ESO AFECTA A SUS FUTUROS. HIJOS NIETOS OR OTRA FAMILIA TENGAN USTEDES A SEGUIR HACIENDO ESO NO BUENO PARA EL FUTURO NI PARA USTEDES PENSAR EN MAS NO NO MAS LA CIUDAD DE LA CIUDAD NECESITA. PERO LA CIUDAD GRANTS PUEDE ESTO PUEDE DAR EL OTRO Y TENER DINERO PARA Q SE NECESITA DINERO DE ELLOS. NO SE NECESITA PORQUE ESTA DINERO. POCO A POCO CON ENFERMEDADES CON EL AGUA AYER. NO SÉ SI USTEDES HABLANDO DE EL AGUA POR EL RIO COLORADO PORTILLO PARA CALIFORNIA A LOS ANGELES. ELLOS ARE MILLONES DE PERSONAS DE AGUA. QUÉ PASA CON NOSOTROS TODO EL IMPERIAL TODOS NOSOTROS LOS ANGELES NO TENER NADA. ENTONCES ESO LO NECESITA EL TIEMPO. COMO TODO ESTAMOS HABLANDO HABLANDO. CALIENTE. YO EL ANO PASADO PUNTO DE ABAJO POR EL CALOR. AHORA ES CINCO DIAS. AHORA CIENTO CUARENTA A ENTONCES YO ME VOY. PENSAR NOSOTROS USTEDES USTEDES. AQUI EN ESTE LADO ESTA PASANDO USTEDES AHI USTEDES QUIEREN ESO LO MISMO QUEREMOS TAMPOCO. UN POCO SI YO LO RISPETTO TODOS LOS CONOZCO. PERO PASA POR FAVOR. GRACIAS. VERONICA. VERONICA JUAREZ. ANNA. OH, OKAY. YEAH. JUST. IT'S OKAY. GO AHEAD.

I'M GOING TO JUST GIVE A LIST OF NAMES. IF ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY IN. AND THESE NAMES ARE BEVERLY GARCIA, MIGDALIA SANCHEZ, ELIZABETH PEREZ, DAVID ONKEN, AND EUGENE PANTOJA. AGAIN, THAT'S BEVERLY GARCIA, MIGDALIA SANCHEZ, ELIZABETH PEREZ, DAVID ONKEN, AND EUGENE PANTOJA. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME WELL? YEAH. GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. MY NAME IS ANA. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE ABOUT WHAT MATTERS THE MOST. YOU KNOW, WHEN I PULLED UP DOWNTOWN. I COULDN'T FIND ANY PARKING. AND I THOUGHT MAYBE THE BIGGEST IS HAPPENING IN TOWN. AND AS FUNNY AS IT IS, IT'S NOT FUNNY BECAUSE THIS IS WHY EVERYBODY IS HERE FOR NO DATA CENTER, NO OTHER AGENDA ITEM IS MATTERS TO PEOPLE SO MUCH. SO HAVE YOU SEEN HOW MANY PEOPLE GATHERED? I'M SURE YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEWS. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. LIVING PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY, RAISING FAMILY IN THIS COMMUNITY, GIVING ALL TO ALL THEY HAVE TO THIS COMMUNITY.

[03:25:05]

ESTOY AQUI REPRESENTANDO A CIENTO DE PADRES Y MOTHERS CAN ESTAN AQUI PORQUE ESTA CUIDADO DE SUS QUERIDOS CON DISCAPACIDADES. USTEDES FUERON ELEGIDOS POR EL PUEBLO PARA

[03:30:06]

QUÉ ENCONTRAR DE LA SALUD Y SEGURIDAD DE TODOS LOS RESIDENTES DE COACHELLA, POR FAVOR EVALUAN CON MUCHO CUIDADO. EL IMPACTO NEGATIVO PARA NUESTRA COMUNIDAD LA CONSTRUCCION DEL CENTRO DE DATOS. COMO YA MUCHOS VERDAD EL CONSUMO DE AGUA, ESTOS DATOS NEGATIVOS CONSUMO EXCESSIVO DE AGUA PRESIONE SOBRE LA RED ELÉCTRICA AUMENTO EN LA GENERACION DE LA CONTAMINACION DEL AGUA ALTO RIESGO PARA LA SALUD. LES PIDO, POR FAVOR.

TOMAN LA DECISION CORRECTA, POR FAVOR NO TIENEN LA MUERTE A NUESTRA COMUNIDAD, POR FAVOR.

VOTING. VOTING A FAVOR DE LA VIDA. VOTING A FAVOR DE LA SEGURIDAD. VOTING A FAVOR DE NUESTRA COMUNIDAD, POR FAVOR, CUIDAR EL MEDIO AMBIENTE DE NUESTRA BELLEZA CIUDAD DE COACHELLA, COACHELLA UNIDO JAMAS SERA VENCIDO. SI SE PUEDE. SI SE PUEDE GRACIAS. I'M BEVERLY GARCIA. I REALLY WISH THAT THE THREE FOLK, OR WHOEVER WAS FROM STRONGHOLD, WAS HERE, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE FACES THAT THEY WERE MAKING AT US. AND THEN THERE WAS THAT ONE GUY. WHATEVER THE F. HIS NAME WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL, MOSTLY TALKING NEGATIVELY AND MAKING LITTLE QUIPS TO THE WOMEN. BUT WHEN IT WAS A MAN, HE WAS VERY QUICK TO HOLD HIS TONGUE. BUT ANYWAY, YESTERDAY SOME PEOPLE RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE URGING THEM TO SUPPORT BUILDING THE DATA CENTER IN COACHELLA. THE. I DIDN'T RECEIVE IT BECAUSE I KNEW EXACTLY WHO NOT TO TEXT. I'M NOT GOING TO. I'M GOING TO CUT OUT A PARAGRAPH JUST BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THIS IS A VILE, MISLEADING, MISINFORMED, LUDICROUS AND ASININE CAMPAIGN. IT'S A DESPICABLE ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE THE WORK THE COMMUNITY IS DOING TO PREVENT THE PROJECT. SINCE WE HAVE COME HERE WITH FACTS AND EXAMPLES OF HOW DETRIMENTAL A PROJECT SUCH AS THIS IS TO NOT JUST THE ENVIRONMENT AS A WHOLE, BUT OUR ENVIRONMENT.

ANYBODY ON THE CITY COUNCIL WHO DEMONSTRATES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT SHOULD BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. YOU RAN A DECEITFUL CAMPAIGN ASSURING PEOPLE THAT YOU HAD OUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND, AND NOW THE TRUTH IS OUT. YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT US. YOU DO NOT GIVE A SINGLE IOTA OF A ABOUT US. YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT YOU'RE DRIVEN BY AVARICE. YOUR MAIN GOAL IS TO PROFIT FROM THE BONES OF THIS COMMUNITY. IS IT WORTH IT? YOU'RE ALL SPINELESS, PATHETIC SELLOUTS. IF YOU DO, I HAVE TO STAND HERE AND AND RESORT TO INSULTS TO GET YOUR ATTENTION.

BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT DOING YOUR JOB OF KEEPING OUR BEST INTERESTS IN MIND. IT IS ABSURD WHAT YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO. WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN TO US? WHY AREN'T YOU PROACTIVE ABOUT STOPPING THIS PROJECT FROM HAPPENING? WE'VE ALREADY VOICED TO YOU THAT WE DO NOT WANT IT.

WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO CONVINCE YOU THAT WE DON'T WANT IT AND THAT WE DON'T NEED IT? I KNOW THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY THAT YOU ALL PROBABLY RECEIVED AS A BRIBE.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMUNITY TO HELP YOU IN ACHIEVING YOUR ECONOMIC GOALS, SO YOU WON'T SELL US OUT? CAN WE BUY YOUR LOYALTY INSTEAD OF YOU SELLING YOURSELVES OUT TO THESE COMPANIES WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU EITHER? HOW CAN WE GO ABOUT THIS? I REALLY WISH THEY WERE HERE. TRUST AND BELIEVE. THEY WILL ABANDON YOU. THEY WILL ABANDON YOU THE FIRST CHANCE THEY GET. AS SOON AS THEY ACCOMPLISH WHAT THEY WANT. THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS COMMUNITY. THEY DO NOT CARE. THEY WILL LEAVE YOU AND THEY WILL HANG YOU OUT TO DRY. AND FOR TIME TO COME, YOU WILL BE USED AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO AS A PUBLIC SERVANT. YOU WILL BE IN THE SAME CLUB AS DISGRACED JESUS GONZALEZ AND STEVEN HERNANDEZ. IF YOU MOVE ON WITH THIS PROJECT, WE'LL HAVE TO ONE UP THE DISGRACED TERM. I'M THINKING CATASTROPHIC, DETRIMENTAL, DESTRUCTIVE, DARE I SAY MURDEROUS. AND I WILL GO AS FAR AS TO CALL YOU THE LAST ONE, SINCE THIS DECISION WILL ULTIMATELY KILL OUR ECOSYSTEM AND THEN US. I WILL HECKLE YOU ON THE STREETS. I HAVE NOT KNOWN MENTAL PEACE SINCE LEARNING ABOUT THIS, AND I THINK YOU SHOULD BE EXTENDED THE SAME COURTESY BECAUSE YOU'RE MORALLY BANKRUPT. IF YOU KEEP UPHOLDING THIS, YOU'LL GET TO LEAVE THE VALLEY WITH THE MONEY YOU MADE OFF OF THIS. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US WHO CAN'T AFFORD THAT OPTION? WHERE DO WE GO? WHERE DO WE GO? BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE. I WANT TO LIVE HERE. I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY.

I'VE BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THIS PLACE. I CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO LEAVE THIS PLACE. I GUESS I'LL JUST DIE HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE MIGDALIA SANCHEZ, THEN CRYSTAL TORRES. MUNOZ. AND IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE, ELIZABETH PEREZ, DAVID ONKEN, EUGENE.

[03:35:02]

I'M ALSO AN ALUMNI OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT. I EVEN WENT TO, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL WITH MR. FRANK FIGUEROA HERE. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK OUT FOR MY COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO CAN ALSO NOT SPEAK OUT FOR THEMSELVES. I COME FROM ABUELOS WHO PICKED WHO ONCE PICKED THE FOOD THAT GOES ON ALL OF OUR TABLES, A MOTHER WHO WORKS IN THE SUN DAY IN AND DAY OUT. INSTEAD OF BUILDING THESE USELESS DATA CENTERS. EXCUSE ME, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE INVESTING OUR TAX DOLLARS INTO MORE SHADE. WHICH SHADE? I MEAN TREES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO FIX, OUR STREETS ALSO TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS AND RECREATION CENTERS, TO CREATE MORE ACTIVITY CENTERS. TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN FROM GOING DOWN THE WRONG PATH. FOR OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION, TO CREATE MORE JOBS, TO BETTER HEALTH CARE FOR OUR FAMILIES, FOR OUR LOVED ONES, FOR OUR CHILDREN'S. WHETHER IT'S UPCOMING OR ALREADY GENERATIONS THAT ARE HERE. IT BAFFLES ME TO SEE HOW YOU GUYS IN THE COUNCIL TOOK AN OATH TO BE AND STAND FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, YOU GUYS WORK FOR THE PEOPLE. AS SOMEBODY MENTIONED EARLIER ON THE CONSTITUTION, IT BEGINS, WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.

[03:40:04]

SORRY. GIVE ME ONE SECOND. ALSO, THESE STRONG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FALLING ASLEEP. WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WE SAW THEM GO OUT THAT DOOR AND I WAS. WE WENT OVER TO THE BACK. WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY FOR JUST A FEW PEOPLE THAT WENT OVER TO THE SIDE FOR A SHERIFF TO COME OUT IN FRONT OF CHILDREN WITH THEIR PEPPER GUN, WITH THEIR PEPPERBALL GUNS? THEY REALLY FELT THAT INTIMIDATED BY A FEW PEOPLE BECAUSE MOST OF THE PEOPLE ALREADY WENT HOME BECAUSE WE THEY HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEIR FAMILIES. WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO CLOSE OUT AN ENTIRE STREET FOR A FEW PEOPLE THAT WERE STILL HERE, WAITING FOR THEIR VOICE TO BE HEARD? I DON'T THINK IT WAS. CHILDREN WERE SCARED OUTSIDE IN THE BACK. THANK YOU. CRYSTAL. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE THAT WANT TO SPEAK LIKE I. I'M I'M GOING TO FINISH ALREADY.

DON'T BE A PART OF THE FRAUD. DON'T LET A COUPLE DOLLARS BRAINWASH YOU, MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND SAY NO TO DATA CENTERS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE JOANNE LAMAS, JOANNE, AND I'M GOING TO CALL THIS LIST OF NAME ONE MORE TIME. AND THEN WE'RE WE WILL MOVE ON WITH THE LIST. ELIZABETH PEREZ, DAVID ONKEN, EUGENE PANTOJA, JESUS ESCARCEGA, TANYA. SOLIS, LUCIA. MENDOZA, TUPAC. LOPEZ, DENNIS. RITCHIE, DENNIS. RODRIGUEZ, STEPHEN.

JOSEPH. HERNANDEZ. GO AHEAD. YOU CAN GET STARTED. HELLO? CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? MY NAME IS JOANNE LAMAS. I'M A COACHELLA VALLEY RESIDENT, AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT IT'S EMBARRASSING THAT WE'VE HAD ELDERLY PEOPLE AND CHILDREN OUTSIDE WAITING FOR HOURS TO BE A PART OF THIS MEETING, AND WE HAD STRONGHOLD REPRESENTATIVES IN HERE SITTING NICE AND KUSH AND LUSH. FRANK, YOU GOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY AND INVITED EVERYONE DOWN TO THIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND THERE WAS NO FORESIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE ACCOMMODATED. OUR ELDERLY WERE ACCOMMODATED. I SAW DOZENS OF ELDERLY CITIZENS LIMP PAST ME, BACK TO THEIR VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T STAND OUT THERE ANY LONGER. YOU GUYS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES FOR HOW YOU'RE TREATING THE COMMUNITY. I'D LIKE TO NOW PLAY A QUICK AUDIO CLIP IF I COULD. JUST CALL FOR A MORATORIUM. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDN'T CATCH IT, THAT WAS DOCTOR FRANK FIGUEROA SAYING THAT THE FIRST THING HE WAS GOING TO DO AS MAYOR WAS CALL FOR A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS. AND THAT WAS ON APRIL 22ND, 2026. IT'S MAY 27TH.

WHERE'S THE MORATORIUM, FRANK? THREE OTHER CITIES IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY HAVE PASSED MORATORIUMS OR HAVE THEM ON THEIR AGENDAS TO BE PASSED. AND WE'RE STILL SITTING HERE PLAYING NICE WITH, AS A FRIEND CALLED HIM, THE BILLIONAIRE BASTARDS. WHAT ARE WE DOING? THIS IS RIDICULOUS. THIS. YOU ALL GET UP HERE AND YOU SAY, HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE. TELL US WHAT YOU WANT. THERE'S A THERE'S HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE TELLING YOU WHAT WE WANT AND WE STILL CAN'T GET IT DONE. WE STILL CAN'T GET A BAN ON DATA CENTERS. WE CAN'T PROTECT OUR AIR, OUR COMMUNITY, THE KIDS THAT ARE HERE, THE ELDERLY THAT ARE HERE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. INSTEAD, YOU ESCORT STRONGHOLD POWER OUT THE BACK DOOR. YOU KEEP THEM SAFE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN RIOT GEAR OUT THERE POINTING GUNS AT US. LIKE WE'RE THE LIKE, WE'RE THE VILLAINS. WHAT THE IS THAT? I FIND IT FUNNY THAT YOU'RE MORE OFFENDED BY FOUL LANGUAGE THAN BY THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO DIE OUT HERE. WE'RE GOING TO BE COOKED ALIVE LIKE FREAKING LOBSTERS, AND PEOPLE CAN'T DROP A BECAUSE THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING. YOU SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED. THIS WHOLE CITY SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED. YOU ALL TALK ABOUT WE DIDN'T KNOW. HAVE YOU EVER NO ONE'S EVER USED CONTROL F ON THEIR COMPUTER. YOU CAN'T LOOK THROUGH A DOCUMENT. 54 PAGES MIGHT BE A LOT FOR Y'ALL TO READ, BUT YOU YOU COULDN'T HIT CONTROL F SEE WHAT THIS REALLY WAS? YOU GET UP THERE AND YOU LIE AND YOU PRETEND YOU DIDN'T KNOW. YOU DISABLED SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS. YOU LINE YOUR POCKETS. YOU PROTECT YOUR AFFAIRS. YOU PROTECT YOUR SECRETS. YOU PROTECT THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE

[03:45:01]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE STEPHEN JOSEPH HERNANDEZ, AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL ANOTHER LIST OF NAMES. THIS IS THE LAST CALL FOR THESE THREE TUPAC LOPEZ, DENNIS RITCHIE AND DENNIS RODRIGUEZ. THE NEXT LIST IS LIRAN, FELIX SHAMARA VALDEZ, RUBIO, ERIC SEDILLO, MARISOL GAMEZ, ZAFIRO VIDAL, MARLENE CORTEZ, AND JOSE. THERE'S NO LAST NAME AGAIN. LIRAN FELIX SHAMARA VALDEZ, RUBIO, ERIC SEDILLO, MARISOL GAMEZ. ZAFIRO VIDAL, MARLENE CORTEZ, AND JOSE. JULIA. SO MY NAME IS STEPHEN JOSEPH HERNANDEZ, NOT THAT'S& STEPHEN HERNANDEZ. SO TWO THINGS THAT REALLY UPSET ME TODAY. FIRST ONE WAS THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE OUTSIDE FREEZING THEIR OFF. YOU'VE WORKED ALL DAY. THEY'RE HUNGRY, THEY'RE AWAY FROM THEIR KIDS AND FAMILY. YET THESE GUYS WERE ABLE TO SPEAK UP BEFORE EVERYBODY. SO THAT'S ONE THING. HE WAS STANDING HERE MAKING, STICKING HIS TONGUE OUT LIKE SOME KIND OF FARM ANIMAL. AND THEN HE HAD THAT DRUNK LADY TALKING ABOUT ADELANTE. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE.

THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK TODAY. YOU HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE WAITING. SECOND ONE WAS THE SPINELESS ACT OF YOU LETTING THEM LEAVE. THEY SHOULD SIT THERE THE WHOLE NIGHT AND LISTEN TO EVERYBODY THAT'S WAITING OUT THERE. WE'RE OUT THERE WAITING. THEY COULD HAVE SPENT THE WHOLE TIME HERE. THERE'S NO THREAT TO THEM. YOU HAVE SIX OFFICERS THAT ARE ARMED OUTSIDE THAT DOOR. NOT ONE THING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. AND ONE THING THAT REALLY UPSET ME TOO WAS HIM TALKING ABOUT HE GIVES TO THE COMMUNITY. HE GIVES TO US. HE GIVES TO WHOEVER BENDS THE KNEE FOR HIM. AND HIS DONATIONS SHOW THAT. AND AND WHAT RIGHT DOES HE GET TO TALK ABOUT THE THE TEACHERS THAT ARE BEING FIRED FROM CV DISTRICT? HE DIDN'T COME HERE.

HE DOESN'T HE'S NOT AN ALUMNI. HE'S NOTHING WITH US. HE SAYS THAT HE LIVES HERE. HE MAY HAVE A HOUSE HERE, BUT HE HAS A $3 MILLION MANSION UP IN ALEJANDRO HILLS IN RIVERSIDE. HOW COME HE DON'T BUILD THIS PROJECTED PROJECT OVER THERE BEHIND HIS BACKYARD? BECAUSE HE'D RUN HIS OUT OF HERE, JUST LIKE WE'RE GOING TO DO. IT UPSETS ME BECAUSE I'M EDUCATED. THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATED PEOPLE HERE, PEOPLE HERE. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THIS VALLEY. I GIVE TO THE COMMUNITY. I'VE WORKED AT THE HOSPITALS HERE ALL MY LIFE SINCE I WAS 18. I'VE BEEN IN THE MEDICAL FIELD. I'M A NURSE PRACTITIONER NOW. I GOT MY MASTER'S, BUT WE'VE LEARNED A FEW COUPLE A COUPLE OF GOOD THINGS TODAY. EDUCATIONAL, I WOULD SAY FIRST THING IS THAT YOU CAN GO TO THESE PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGES, YOU CAN HAVE ALL THESE TITLES BEHIND YOUR NAME, PHD, WHICH IS WHAT THE HIGHEST ONE YOU CAN HAVE. AND YOU CAN STILL, YOU CAN STILL BE DUMB ENOUGH TO NOT SEE THE THAT THESE SNAKES WERE FEEDING THEM. ANOTHER THING WE ALL WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE. WE WANT TO HAVE MONEY. YOU KNOW, LET'S BE REALISTIC. WE WANT TO HAVE WEALTH. WE WANT TO HAVE THE MATERIALISTIC THINGS. THIS GUY HAS ALL THAT. AND THAT GOES TO SHOW, YOU CAN HAVE MONEY, YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE MATERIALISTIC THINGS, YOU CAN HAVE ALL YOUR GOALS, AND YOU CAN STILL BE A PIECE OF PERSON THAT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HARMING OTHERS. I SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT POURED THEIR HEARTS OUT RIGHT HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, COME ELECTION TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THEM BACK THERE. THEY PROMISED TO GET BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. YOU GUYS HAVE NOT SHOWN IT. SO IF YOU CAN'T STEP AWAY FROM THIS CONTRACT OR WHATEVER THEY PROMISED YOU BEHIND THE BACK DOORS, I HOPE IT WAS WORTH IT. AND THE PEOPLE OF COACHELLA WILL REMEMBER. MY NAME IS MARISOL GOMEZ. I'M NOT FROM COACHELLA. COACHELLA, I'M FROM INDIO. AND THE REASON I CAME HERE TO THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF COACHELLA IS BECAUSE I HAVE FAMILY HERE TOO, AS FRIENDS, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK ALL THE WAY THERE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M OVER THERE WITH MY FAMILY IS GOMEZ. THEY GREW UP HERE WHEN MY GRANDPA WAS A WORKING FOR THE FOR THE POUND PALM TREES, AND THAT'S HOW HE RAISED HIS MONEY, GETTING HIS OWN LAND. AND I DIDN'T EVEN FINISH IT FROM THERE. NOTHING. WE STILL HAVE IT, BUT I I'M FROM INDIA, I'M A RESIDENT. I HAVE MY OWN PLACE, BUT THIS IS I DON'T CARE NO MORE. I'M HERE BECAUSE WE NEED TO SPEAK UP FOR THE COMMUNITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, REGARDLESS IF YOU HAVE MONEY, I HAVE MONEY, THEY HAVE MONEY. WE'RE GOING TO DIE. WHY? BECAUSE IT'S DATA. OKAY? WATER WILL. IF YOU KEEP UP WITH THE WATER, THEN THE DAY WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE WATER BECAUSE SALTON SEA IS ALREADY BROKE UP SINCE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, 1940S. I MEAN, IF YOU GET UP AND THE

[03:50:03]

THEY ARE VERBALLY BERATED WITH CUSS WORDS OVER THINGS THAT AREN'T THEIR FAULT. AND STILL YET, YOU HAVE THESE PEOPLE HERE SITTING HERE, JUST KIND OF LAUGHING THEIR OFF. IT'S SUPER DISRESPECTFUL. SO MY ALSO STATEMENT IS WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO WORK SOMEONE LIKE THAT WHO'S DISRESPECTFUL, DISRESPECTFUL TO YOUR COMMUNITY, PEOPLE YOU WENT TO SCHOOL WITH COUSINS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO WORK WITH SOMEONE LIKE THAT? SO DISRESPECTFUL? BECAUSE WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT THEY HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY? YEAH, THEY PROBABLY DON'T. AND ALSO TOO, I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW DISRESPECTFUL IT IS THAT THEY SAY THAT WE'RE MISINFORMED ON EVERYTHING. FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU WANT TO SAY WE'RE MISINFORMED, YOU SHOULD HAVE COME WITH EVERYONE WITH THE INFORMATION. THE LAST MEETING WE WENT TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB. THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING. EVERYTHING THAT WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT WAS, I DON'T KNOW. AND THERE WAS ANOTHER WOMAN WHO SPOKE AND SAID, A GOOD POINT WAS THAT SHE'S NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO HER BOSS AND SAY, I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE YOU GET FIRED. SO WHY ARE YOU HIRING THESE UNEDUCATED, DISRESPECTFUL PEOPLE FOR THIS COMMUNITY? AND AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE PROBABLY, WHAT, TWO MINUTES FROM VIOLENCE, ALL THOSE POOR KIDS, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS WITH THAT NOISE? THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS WITH THAT HORRIBLE AIR QUALITY ALREADY. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASTHMA, THEY HAVE ALLERGIES, CANCER, AND IT'S JUST DISRESPECTFUL THAT YOU WANT TO PUT THESE THIS COMMUNITY THAT'S UNDERFUNDED AND FRANKLY, LEFT OUT TO DIE HOMELESS HOUSES, LIKE THEY SAID, YOU CANNOT JUST HAVE THESE PEOPLE HERE THAT OBVIOUSLY DON'T CARE EVEN WHO CAN SAY WHAT THEY DO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS IF THIS IS HOW THEY TREAT US IN FRONT OF ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY. I MEAN. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. BUT ONCE WE DECIDE WE'RE GOING TO GET ONE POSITIVE. THE SAME ITEM, I CAN'T TAKE IT OFF. YOU ALREADY SPOKE. I THINK, WITHIN THE. NEXT. YEAH. BUT FOR ANOTHER. PERSON. THAT. SAY SOMETHING OR DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND COME UP? MY NAME IS JOSUE. OBVIOUSLY, YOU'VE HEARD ALL THE POINTS ABOUT YOU'VE HEARD TODAY ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS. I DON'T HAVE TO GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW THIS IS DETRIMENTAL TO OUR COACHELLA VALLEY. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE AND RACISM. THE PEOPLE HERE CANNOT AFFORD THIS DATA CENTER. IT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE LAND. WE WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD ANY OF IT. WE HAVE. WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES. WE DON'T HAVE THE WATER, THE QUALITY, THE AIR. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF THIS DATA CENTER. I SHOULDN'T BE UP HERE TELLING YOU, YOU ALREADY KNOW. YOU SHOULD KNOW, YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU AREN'T MAKING YOUR EFFORT TO EVEN UNDERSTAND THE PROPOSALS AND AGREEMENTS YOU'RE VOTING ON. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE INFORMED. THERE IS NO NEED FOR A THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATION IN WHY AND WHY WE NEED THESE DATA CENTERS. THE CITY OF DENVER ALREADY PUT IN A MORTUARY. MORTUARY? WHY AREN'T YOU DOING THE SAME? THERE IS NO NEED TO PUT FURTHER RESOURCES, FURTHER MONEY INTO FIGURING OUT IF THIS IS GOOD OR BAD FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS IS DETRIMENTAL. THANK YOU. I DID COUNCIL, THOSE ARE ALL

[03:55:13]

OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY ONLINE? THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT WERE CONFUSED AND JUST PUT DOWN PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF FORMS THAT ONLY STATE PUBLIC COMMENT.

WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO CALL THEM UP TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? DO YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK? THEY CALL YOUR NAME. YEAH. I'M SORRY, I HAVE YOU NEXT I APOLOGIZE. MY NAME IS TANYA SOLIS. I GREW UP IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, ACTUALLY ON SECOND STREET. SO RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. WE'VE HEARD A LOT TODAY ABOUT THE CONS OF DATA CENTERS, SO I WON'T GET INTO THAT TOO MUCH. NOW, AT THIS POINT, I KIND OF WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTUALLY ATTRACTED YOU GUYS TO THE IDEA OF EVEN DOING THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO I LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE, THEY RELEASED THIS PRETTY LITTLE ARTICLE WITH PRETTY LITTLE PROMISES OF HOW IT'S GOING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. ONE OF THOSE POINTS IS THEY'RE GOING TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH WATER USAGE. THEY THEY MENTIONED SOMETHING LIKE A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM. I HAVE AN ENGINEERING BACKGROUND. AND WHEN YOU STUDY PHYSICS, YOU KNOW THAT NO SYSTEM IS 90 OR 100% EFFICIENT. YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO GET LOST AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE RESOURCES TO REPLENISH THAT LOSS. SO THERE'S THAT. THE NEXT THING THAT WAS CRAZY TO ME IS THE ARGUMENT ABOUT MAKING MORE JOBS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. MOST OF THESE JOBS ARE GOING TO BE CONSTRUCTION, WHICH ARE TEMPORARY. THEN I TRIED TO SEE HOW MANY FULL TIME JOBS A DATA CENTER OF THIS SCALE WILL HAVE, AND I FOUND IT TO BE AN AVERAGE OF 150 PERMANENT JOBS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S ENOUGH FOR 240 ACRES. I LOOKED UP HOW MANY JOBS THAT COSTCO HAS. THEY EMPLOY ABOUT 300 PEOPLE. I WOULD RATHER HAVE A COSTCO HERE THAN A DATA CENTER. I'M KIND OF SEEING THIS TREND COMING FROM IMPERIAL VALLEY TO NOW MOVING ON TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY, WHERE THESE COMPANIES ARE COMING AND THEY'RE SEEING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. THEY'RE SEEING IMMIGRANTS, THEY'RE PRAYING AND HOPING, AND THEY'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE ARE UNEDUCATED. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE RESEARCH. WE'RE NOT GOING TO INFORM OURSELVES. AND THEY'RE HOPING THAT THEY CAN JUST SHOW US THE MONEY, MAKE US FALSE PROMISES. HEY, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DON'T MAKE A LOT OF MONEY IN YOUR GOVERNMENT. LET ME GIVE YOU GUYS SOME MILLIONS AND YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CITY SO BEAUTIFUL. BUT IN REALITY, THAT MONEY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO END UP USING IT FOR THE BAD THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO COME FROM THE DATA CENTER.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE IT TO FIX OUR WATER SYSTEMS, OUR AIR POLLUTION, ALL OF THAT STUFF. SO ARE WE REALLY GOING TO PROFIT? THINK ABOUT THAT LONG TERM. HAVING AN ENGINEERING BACKGROUND, I'M NOT 100% AGAINST TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE ETHICAL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY FORCE US TO DO IN COLLEGE IS TO TAKE AN ETHICS CLASS ON ENGINEERING, AND I DON'T SEE ANY OF THESE THINGS HAPPENING ETHICALLY. ALSO, I, I HEARD THAT HE HAS A HOUSE HERE OR SOMETHING. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS GUY AT ANY COMMUNITY EVENTS EVER. NEVER SEEN ANY OF THESE PEOPLE. NO CARS AND COFFEE, NO NOTHING. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US. YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS KNOW BETTER. I JUST HOPE THAT YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE TOTALLY OKAY. IF YOU GUYS NEED TO PAY A FEE TO GET OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, WE'LL BE OKAY WITH THAT. WE'D RATHER HAVE THAT. OKAY. I DID RECEIVE ONE MORE FORM FOR ITEM NUMBER 18. MELODY GONZALEZ. MELODY GONZALEZ, I BELIEVE SHE'S OUTSIDE. AND I'LL DO A LAST CALL ON THE LAST FEW NAMES.

LIRAN. FELIX, ERIC SEDILLO, AND ZAFFIRO VIDAL. MELODY. GO AHEAD. HELLO. HOW ARE YOU GUYS TONIGHT? ALL RIGHT, SO I'M HERE TO SHARE. WE, I HAVE, I HAVE, I FELT VERY CALLED TO BE HERE TONIGHT. WE THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO BE HEARD. AND YOU GUYS WANT TO HEAR THE COMMUNITY. AND I'M JUST HERE TO REITERATE THERE'S NOTHING NEW THAT HASN'T BEEN ALREADY BEEN SAID TONIGHT. NO. ON THE DATA CENTERS. THE DATA CENTERS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST A CENTER FOR DATA. IT'S ALSO A SURVEILLANCE CENTER. I DON'T NEED TO SHOW OR PROVE ANY OF THIS INFORMATION. LIKE THE

[04:00:09]

DON'T WORRY. WE ARE A STRONG, STRONG COMMUNITY. WE ARE ALL VERY WE HAVE BUILT THIS COMMUNITY, WE HAVE A STRONG HOLD AND WE HAVE BUILT THIS PLACE FROM THE GROUND UP, BRICK BY BRICK, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. AND LASTLY, JUST A REMINDER THAT WE ARE HERE TO SAY WE NEED THAT THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEW OF THE AGREEMENT. THANK YOU. AND NO ON THE DATA CENTERS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE GLORIA HERNANDEZ. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS MARISSA COACHELLA AND OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY, ALSO RESIDENTS FOR 69 YEARS.

THE ONLY THING THAT I WANT TO ASK BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY DECISION, PLEASE HAVE CONSCIOUSNESS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD BEAUTIFUL PROMISES AS AN EXAMPLE, MAKE AMERICA BEAUTIFUL.

AND THE DREAM. AND IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. SO I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU WON'T. LIKE THIS WITHIN SITUATION, THAT LISTENING TO PEOPLE, IT HAS TO DO WITH THIS COUNTRY. IT'S NOT JUST A COUNTRY, IT'S ALSO COACHELLA VALLEY THAT'S BEEN A DISASTER. ASH, ASH, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW WE WE'RE STILL ON NUMBER 18. YEAH. AND YES, BUT WE'RE STILL ON 18. SO WE'VE ALREADY GOT YOUR THREE MINUTES. NO, YOU ALREADY GOT YOUR THREE MINUTES. YOU SPOKE ALREADY, RIGHT. OKAY. NO. FOR ITEM 18 THIS IS FOR ITEM 18. WE HAVEN'T MOVED ON FROM THE LAST TIME THAT YOU CAME UP TO SPEAK. WE'RE STILL ON THE SAME ITEM. WE WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT YET. WE'RE WE'RE STILL YEAH, WE'RE STILL IN. WE ARE STILL ON THIS ONE. CORRECT? THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER. TO TELL YOU ALL THE TIME. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WILL BE AFTER WE MOVE THIS ITEM UP. AND GO ONLINE. YEAH. IS THERE ANY COMMENTS ONLINE FOR ITEM 18? YES. GIVE ME ONE SECOND.

[04:05:02]

GOOD EVENING. WE'RE HERE. WE'RE ALSO GIVING OUR OPINION. WE DON'T WANT THE DATA CENTER. WE DON'T NEED IT, NOT IN COACHELLA, NOT ANYWHERE. IT'S NOT A HUMANE THING. YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, IT'S A CATASTROPHE.

IT'S LETHAL THAT YOU'RE ALLOWING THIS. THIS IS GOING TO BRING US WORSE THINGS.

COACHELLA IS A COMMUNITY. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REMOVE FARMS, FARMLAND. IT'S A CITY THAT'S BEEN HOT. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE MORE WATER, MORE ELECTRICITY, AND THE COST IS GOING TO BE VERY HIGH FOR THE RESIDENTS HERE. HOUSES WILL LOSE VALUE. IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO BE HERE IF WE HAVE THESE DATA CENTERS. THE RADIATION CAUSES CANCER. THEY WANT TO KILL US. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH OUR CHILDREN? ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. IT'S A MONSTER AS IT IS. EVERYTHING THAT'S TAKEN FROM US, IT'S TAKING THE INTELLECT FROM US, THE CONNECTION, HEALING, CONNECTION WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IT'S MAKING US WORTHLESS. THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING FOR WHATEVER AMOUNT OF MONEY. YOU CANNOT LOOK AT THE PEOPLE IN COACHELLA IN THEIR EYES THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU THAT ARE OUTSIDE CHILDREN, ADULTS, MEN, WOMEN, ALL OF THEM, AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO BE THERE. YOU CANNOT DO NOTHING ABOUT IT FOR NO REASON. WE HAVE A MORE RESPONSIBILITY, A HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAVE FAMILIES. YOUR OWN WELL-BEING. PLEASE WAKE UP. LISTEN TO YOUR PEOPLE. IT'S VERY LATE AT NIGHT, AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE MORE OF US WOULD BE THERE. YOU CANNOT DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. YOU CANNOT JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO. DO SOMETHING. YOUR VOTE IS OUR VOICE. PLEASE, FROM MY HEART. DON'T KILL YOUR OWN PEOPLE. DON'T DO IT. PLEASE. THANK YOU.

PROMOTING CRYSTAL MOJICA. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CRYSTAL MOJICA AND I'M SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY. AS A BORN AND RAISED DAUGHTER OF THE DESERT, A CIVIL RIGHTS POLICY ADVOCATE FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND A FORMER COMMISSIONER FOR THE CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY. I'M ALSO A PROUD DAUGHTER OF A HOTEL VALET WHO HAS HAD TO RUN ACROSS THE THE HOT ASPHALT ON THE HOTTEST OF DESERT DAYS FOR OVER 40 YEARS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME TO SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH MY FELLOW VALLEY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY. SOME HEADLINES REGARDING THE RESISTANCE FROM OUR COMMUNITIES. TODAY, AI DATA CENTERS HAVE PAINTED ADVOCATES AS JUST BEING ANTI-PROGRESS OR ANTI TECH. AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS ABOUT THE DISPARATE IMPACT OF AI ON THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO HAVE MEANS AND THOSE WHO DO NOT. AND IT IS ABOUT BEING ANTI EXPLOITATION AND AGAINST THE IRRESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION OF OUR LIMITED CRITICAL NATURAL RESOURCES. DATA CENTERS ARE BEING BUILT IN DESERT COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THE LAND IS CHEAP. BUT OUR LIVES AND THOSE OF FUTURE DESERT GENERATIONS SHOULD NOT BE. WHAT IS THE TRUE COST OF BUILDING A DATA CENTER? WE CANNOT RULE OUT THAT IT IS THE ABILITY OF OUR PEOPLE TO SURVIVE. WE DESERVE TO BE ABLE TO IMAGINE A FUTURE FOR COACHELLA AND MORE BROADLY, FOR THE COACHELLA VALLEY THAT IS BOTH SAFE AND AFFORDABLE FOR ALL. THE VIABILITY OF SUCH A FUTURE DEPENDS ON THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF A. RISING TEMPERATURES AND ACCESS TO LIMITED AND CURRENTLY UNAFFORDABLE UTILITIES. THIS DATA CENTER WOULD ONLY MAGNIFY THE CHALLENGES ALREADY FACED BY OUR COMMUNITIES AND IMMEDIATELY IMPACT OUR MOST VULNERABLE. SO

[04:10:05]

GP.

YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY GABRIEL PEREZ. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE INTEGRITY WHEN YOU ARE STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST. I SERVED AS THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE DIRECTOR FOR COACHELLA FOR THE PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS. THE CITY PURSUING A PUBLIC UTILITY IS A GOOD THING, AND WE KNOW DEVELOPMENT CAN GET OFF THE GROUND DUE TO THE SERIOUS LACK OF POWER IN THE EASTERN COACHELLA VALLEY. BUT THE DATA CENTER TERMS IN THE P3 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT IS A BAD DEAL FOR COACHELLA, AND A BILL PATTERSON SPECIAL, WHERE HE NEGOTIATES A BAD DEAL AND KEEPS IT EXECUTIVE TEAM OUT OF THESE DECISIONS. YOU WERE WARNED ABOUT THIS LONG AGO. IN A MARCH 26TH, 2025, LETTER TO COUNCIL FROM ME. THE PUBLIC CAN'T CAN'T FIND IT. IT'S STILL IN THE YOU CAN REPORT YOUR EXECUTIVE TEAM WARNED YOU ABOUT THIS OVER A YEAR AGO IN. ARE PLEASED TO COUNSEL RISKING OUR OWN JOBS OR RETALIATION. STEPHANIE AND YADIRA HAD THE COURAGE TO MEET WITH THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AT OUR REQUEST OVER THESE CONCERNS, BUT FRANK FIGUEROA AND DENISE DELGADO REFUSED TO MEET WITH THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, AND THREE OF YOU VOTED TO BRING BACK BILL LATER EXTEND HIS CONTRACT. I'M GLAD THE COMMUNITY IS PAYING ATTENTION STANDING UP. THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT COMMUNITY MIGHT NOT BE AWARE ABOUT THAT ARE UP FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION, BUT SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO FOR DECISIONS THAT MAY FAVOR DEVELOPERS AND SURVEILLANCE CONTRACTORS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE COMMUNITY. LAND TRUST, A MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT WAS FORGIVEN OF $40 MILLION IN DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FEES NEGOTIATED OUT OF THE EXISTING PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BY BILL AGAINST THE CITY ATTORNEY'S BEST JUDGMENT, AND HE KEPT STAFF OUT OF THE DECISIONS AND MADE STAFF THE ONES TO DEFEND THE PROJECT TO COUNCIL. I WARNED COUNCIL ABOUT THIS IN THAT LETTER. THERE ARE A FEW MORE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS UNDERWAY IN THE COMMUNITY. SHOULD BE AWARE OF THEM. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST STRONGHOLD. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WERE APPROVED IN THE P3 AGREEMENT. BILL EXPRESSED A STAFF BEHIND THE SCENES. THAT STRONGHOLD HAD THIS PROJECT IN THE BAG BEFORE THE PROPOSALS WERE EVEN REVIEWED, AND STRONGHOLD SECURED THE LAND FOR THIS YEARS AGO. THERE WERE OTHER P3 PARTNERSHIP PROPOSALS THAT LIKELY DIDN'T REQUIRE DATA CENTER. THE COUNCIL ESSENTIALLY HAS TO APPROVE THE DATA CENTER DUE TO THE P3 AGREEMENT OR FACE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES. HOW DO THESE DEALS GET MADE? IN THE LAST YEAR, BILL WILL DIRECT THE CITY ATTORNEY WHAT THE TERMS ARE GOING TO BE, AND CONVINCE EACH OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT IT'S A GOOD DEAL BECAUSE HE THINKS YOU DON'T READ THE STAFF REPORTS. NOW. BILL PICKED UP HIS TOYS, WENT HOME, LEAVING COACHELLA AND THE COMMUNITY TO CLEAN UP THE MESS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, STAFF HAS BEEN PLACED IN THE LINE OF FIRE IN TOWN HALL MEETINGS, AND THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DECISION OF THE P3 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. THANK YOU. PROMOTING.

[04:15:20]

UNDERSTAND? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A QUESTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. WHY ARE YOU SITTING THERE? IF SOMEONE CAN, PLEASE ANSWER. WHY CAN IT BE EXPLAINED TO HER THAT WE CAN'T COMMENT ON COMENTARIO PUBLICO ELLOS ESCUCHEN. OKAY. PERFECTO RAPIDAMENTE YO RECUERDO I REMEMBER. PERSONALLY, MR. GALLO, WHEN SHE CAME KNOCKING ON MY DOOR WHEN SHE WAS CAMPAIGNING, AND I REMEMBER HER SON THAT ALSO CAME TO ASK FOR A VOTE FOR HIS MOTHER, WHO WAS RUNNING AS A COUNCILMEMBER. AND NOW THAT HE WAS SITTING THERE IN FRONT OF US, AND THAT BECAUSE I VOTED FOR THEM, THE PEOPLE DECIDED SO THAT THEY WOULD BE THE BEST TO REPRESENT US. AND THE RESULTS THAT. THAT THEY WE HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD. THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT. WE VOTED FOR THEM. THEY SHOULD START WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE AND NOT HARM THEM. ON THE OTHER HAND. THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS, BUT FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE THAT PUT THEM THERE. AND PLEASE, WE DON'T WANT TO CONTAMINATE OUR VALLEY. WE DON'T WANT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO SUFFER FOR THIS, FOR THE CONSEQUENCES. THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO MOVE TO OTHER PLACES THAT WOULD SUFFER THE SAME ISSUES THAT COACHELLA VALLEY DOES. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE THAT LIVE FROM PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK. PLEASE LISTEN TO US. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE MORE CONTAMINATION HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. THE DATA CENTER IS NOT FAIR THAT WE'RE NOT BEING HEARD. THOSE WHO VOTED FOR THEM AND PUT THEM THERE. PLEASE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONSCIENCE. THANK YOU. PROMOTING ERNIE RIOS.

HI. MY NAME IS ERNIE RIOS AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE THERMAL OASIS COMMUNITY COUNCIL. I'M REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY IN SHARING OUR DISAPPROVAL FOR THE DATA CENTER. NOT ONLY IS IT HAVING AN IMPACT ON RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA, BUT IT'S ALSO HAVING AN IMPACT ON OUR RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY OF THERMAL. PHASE TWO OF THE PROJECT CALLS FOR THE PROJECT TO BE BUILT IN THE COMMUNITY OF THERMAL. BUT WHAT IS CAUSING PAUSE FOR OUR RESIDENTS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE ECONOMIC AND. IMPACTS. IT'S GOING TO HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT OUR RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY OF THERMAL HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR POSITIONS ON THIS MATTER.

INSTEAD, DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY, THAT'S CREATEDAUSE FOR US AND OBVIOUSLY CONCERN THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS VOICED. JUST LAST NIGHT DURING ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY COUNCILS, THE FRUSTRATION THAT THEY FEEL THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY NOT BEING HEARD, THAT OUR VOICES ARE CONSTANTLY BEING DISMISSED AND DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS IN IN

[04:20:01]

HELLO. HOPING YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME HERE. MY NAME IS LUIS GARCIA. I'M A EX COACHELLA RESIDENT. I WAS BORN AT JFK. I WAS RAISED ON 52 IN HERNANDEZ. IF YOU GUYS AREN'T FAMILIAR, IT'S BASICALLY THE STREET BETWEEN MY SOUL AND THE HIGHWAY. THAT'S BASICALLY RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THE DATA CENTER IS BEING PROPOSED. I STILL HAVE LOTS OF FAMILY. I STILL HAVE LOTS OF FRIENDS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE ATTENDED, AND TRY TO GET THEIR VOICES ACROSS TO KIND OF DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE NOT FOR THIS KIND OF DATA CENTER. YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO REITERATE A LOT OF STUFF THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE KIND OF MENTIONED, RIGHT? WHERE IT'S NOT GREAT FOR KIND OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR HEALTH, RIGHT? WE'VE US THAT HAVE LIVED IN THAT IN THAT STREET, RIGHT? WE'VE SUFFERED FOR MANY YEARS, RIGHT? WHERE WE HAVE BASICALLY MY ENTIRE LIFE, RIGHT? WITHOUT THAT STREET BEING REPAIRED. SO IF YOU GUYS HAVE EVER DRIVEN DOWN THAT STREET, GOING TO THE HIGHWAY, RIGHT? IT'S BEEN BASICALLY A WRECK BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF SURROUNDED BY INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, RIGHT? WHERE WE HAVE CONSTANT SEMIS, CONSTANT KIND OF TRUCKS KIND OF GOING THROUGH AND DESTROYING THE ROAD. WE ALSO HAD MANY YEARS WHERE THE AIR QUALITY ITSELF WAS ALREADY TERRIBLE TO BEGIN WITH, RIGHT? BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE KIND OF BUSINESSES OPENED UP. SO WE'VE ALREADY LIVED THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF HAVING TERRIBLE AIR QUALITY WHERE WE COULDN'T EVEN BE OUTSIDE DUE TO, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW HARMFUL IT WAS TO US TO LIVE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME OR BECAUSE OF THE BAD SMELL, BECAUSE OF THE SURROUNDING KIND OF BUSINESSES THAT WERE IN THE AREA. RIGHT? WE, WE LIVE NEXT TO A WATER TREATMENT CENTER, RIGHT? SO KIND OF A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT YOU GUYS HAVE OPENED AND PROPOSED AND KIND OF GOT INTO US THAT KIND OF GIVE US SOME BENEFIT AND GIVES US THE ABILITY TO GO OUTSIDE, RIGHT? LIKE THE CV LINK IS REALLY RIGHT THERE, RIGHT NEXT TO US. THAT IS AN AMAZING IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? I'M THERE WHENEVER I GO VISIT MY FAMILY EVERY DECEMBER WHERE I LIVE THERE FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH, I AM ON THAT CV LINK EVERY SINGLE DAY, EVERY SINGLE MORNING WITH THE REST OF MY COMMUNITY. I CONSIDER ALL OF THEM MY PEOPLE, RIGHT? WE'RE ALL OUT THERE TRYING TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE. AND BASICALLY, THIS IS THE ENTIRE DATA CENTER IS GOING TO JEOPARDIZE THAT ENTIRE BENEFIT THAT WE JUST GOT FROM THE CV LINK. WE CANNOT BE OUT THERE, RIGHT? IF THE AIR QUALITY IS BAD, IF NOISE IS TOO UNBEARABLE FOR US TO KIND OF BE OUT THERE. SO I AM AGAINST THE DATA CENTER, MY FAMILY'S AGAINST THE DATA CENTER. MY FRIENDS ARE ALL AGAINST THIS DATA CENTER, AND MY COMMUNITY IS ALL AGAINST THE DATA CENTER. SO I JUST WANTED TO VOICE ALL OF MY ALL OF THIS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T ATTEND OR WERE NOT ALLOWED TO ATTEND, RIGHT. DUE TO MULTIPLE JOBS THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK THROUGH JUST TO SURVIVE. AND ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO GET WORSE ONCE THIS DATA CENTER IS IN PLACE, RESTRICTING AND RAISING ALL OUR UTILITIES AND OUR LIVES. AND THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE ON ZOOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THERE ARE NONE. OF YOU CAN READ THE NAMES OF ALL THE EMAILS, RECORDS THAT WOULD BE UNDER WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, UNDER WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS.

OKAY, SO WE'LL TAKE THAT UNDER WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. OKAY, SO WE DID. I HAVE ONE THAT CHECKED THE BOX FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT ALSO CHECK THE BOX FOR IN OPPOSITION. I CAN CALL THEM

[04:25:04]

CAN YOU UNMUTE? SO SO I SAVED MY COMMENTS FROM THE END FOR FOR THE END BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING I COULD ONLY GIVE WERE OR MY FEELINGS ON IT AND NO ACTION TO IT. SO I AM CALLING FOR A MORATORIUM. I YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LET ME FINISH. YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LET ME FINISH. SO THIS HAS TAKEN WAY TOO LONG, A LOT LONGER THAN THAN IT HAD TO BE DONE. I'VE LEARNED MORE ABOUT DATA CENTERS IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS THAN I EVER THOUGHT. YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED ABOUT A LOT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED ABOUT NOISE, WATER POLLUTION. YOU KNOW, I'VE I'VE LEARNED A LOT. I'VE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND IMPERIAL COUNTY, RIVERSIDE COUNTY. AND IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE. IT REALLY DOES. IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE. IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF COMMITMENT TO BE CONTINUOUSLY SHOWING UP TO THESE MEETINGS, SHOWING UP TO THE TOWN HALL. AND FOR MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE OUTSIDE, THEY WERE THERE FOR HOURS, AND THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE OUTSIDE WAITING FOR THIS MEETING TO BE OVER TO SEE WHAT ACTIONS AND DIRECTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE. I SEE PRECIOUS SITTING THERE WITH HER CHILD, AND YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR, FOR MANY, MANY, MANY HOURS. AND IT SHOWS THE THE COMMITMENT AND HOW AGAINST THIS PROJECT PEOPLE ARE. I'VE SEEN YOUNG ADULTS, YOUTH, NURSES, EDUCATORS, SENIORS, REALTORS, ENGINEERS, AND MANY, MANY, MANY THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEAK TODAY OR JOIN US THROUGH ZOOM. I DID ALSO WATCH STRONGHOLDS BEHAVIOR. THEY WEREN'T PROTECTED. THEY WERE ASKED TO LEAVE. AND THE REASON I ASKED THEM TO LEAVE. AND SO THE ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, ALL HE DOES IS BASICALLY REPORT OUT. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT TODAY WASN'T ABOUT STRONGHOLDS. I HEARD ABOUT. I HEARD FROM STRONGHOLD MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES. AND SO THIS MEETING TODAY WAS TO LISTEN TO ALL OF YOU. AND THEN FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GIVE RESPONSES BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GIVE THEM BEFORE AND WITH THEIR BEHAVIOR AND THEIR INTERACTIONS, IT WAS BECOMING ABOUT THEM. AND IT WASN'T ABOUT THEM. THIS DAY REALLY WAS ABOUT YOU AND US LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU. SO THEY WEREN'T PROTECTED. THEY WERE ASKED TO LEAVE. I, I WAS DISAPPOINTED AND, AND NOT ONLY STRONGHOLD BEING PRESENT, BUT ALSO IN SOME OF THE MESSAGING THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE AND THE MARKETING THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING. THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE, NOR DID I THINK THAT THEY WERE ACTING AS A GOOD PARTNER. I REALLY DON'T, SO I AM ASKING FOR A MORATORIUM ON NEW OR EXPANDED APPROVALS FOR DATA CENTERS, TECHNOLOGY CAMPUSES, PRIVATE MICROGRIDS, GRIDS, OR HIGH ENERGY INTENSITY INDUSTRIAL USES. WHILE THE CITY STUDIES AND ADOPTS STANDARDS RELATED TO UTILITY, GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE, WATER USAGE, GRID RELIABILITY, FISCAL RISK, EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND PUBLIC NOTICING. SO. SO. AND THAT'S BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO JUST MAKE IT ABOUT DATA CENTERS. I WANT TO GO WAY BEYOND BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN NOW, WHETHER IT COMES TO ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL TYPE OF FACILITY THAT USES A LOT OF ENERGY. SO I WANT ALL THESE STUDIES TO BE DONE BEFORE WE EVEN MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY OF THAT. I KNOW THERE'S A TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT OR THE MORATORIUM. THE MORATORIUM IS AN ORDINANCE, RIGHT? THE

[04:30:05]

THAT'S WHAT WE DO. SO THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU. BEFORE I SHARE MY COMMENTS, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HANGING IN THERE WITH US AND FOR BEING HERE UNTIL LATE. I KNOW IT'S VERY LATE ALREADY. I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS SO THAT WE CAN ONE AND BE AGREEMENT. I KNOW WE NEED A UTILITY. I UNDERSTAND AND TO THAT POINT, SOMETHING THAT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL KNOW IS WE ARE STRUGGLING AS, AS A VALLEY VALLEY WIDE. AND THAT I EVEN HEARD THIS TOO STATEWIDE, OBVIOUSLY, WITH HOUSING, WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH UTILITY, WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH POWER. I GET THAT. WE'LL FIND A WAY. WE'LL HAVE TO THINK OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND THAT'S FINE. I'M SURE THAT WE CAN ALL FIGURE THAT OUT TOGETHER. BUT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN IN HEARING ANY MORE REGARDING THE AGREEMENT AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO. AND I KNOW THAT THE QUESTION HAS ALREADY BEEN ASKED. IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE UTILITY, CAN THEY RELY ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT? AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE GOT A GOOD ANSWER. SO I'M NOT INTERESTED IN CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION.

WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO BRING SOME OPTIONS TO US SO THAT WE CAN GET OUT OF THE AGREEMENT.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE. AND IN THE MEANTIME AS WELL, TO PUT A MORATORIUM. SO IF WE CAN DO BOTH THINGS, BOTH THINGS AT THE SAME TIME, AND WHAT WOULD A BAN LOOK LIKE SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL. I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYTHING TO CHANCE ANYMORE. SO AND I WILL I WILL SAY I AM GOING TO APOLOGIZE. I, I AM GOING TO APOLOGIZE. I THINK THAT YOU GUYS BROUGHT UP A LOT OF REALLY GOOD POINTS. AND I HEARD YOU I'VE BEEN READING THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE SHARED. AND EVEN PRIOR TO THAT, THE TOWN HALL, ALL OF THAT. I'VE HEARD IT.

I'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL. I DO READ THEM. I TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. AND ON MY END, I WILL APOLOGIZE THAT WE'RE EVEN HERE TODAY. I THINK THAT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT. I WAS INTERESTED IN SEEING A UTILITY BECAUSE WE NEED TO MEET CERTAIN THINGS FOR THE STATE, ONE OF THEM BEING RINA NUMBERS. THAT'S HOUSING. THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT WE'VE THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FIND A WAY.

WE ALWAYS DO. WE'RE A STRONG CITY. WE'RE A STRONG COMMUNITY, AND WE WILL FIND A WAY TO BE ABLE TO POWER AND BE ABLE TO BRING HAVE MORE RELIABLE POWER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL. I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT'LL LOOK LIKE, BUT THAT'S WHAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK ON, RIGHT? AS, AS AN ELECTED BODY. SO THAT'S MY DIRECTIVE. I DON'T KNOW IF MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO SUPPORT THAT OR IF THEY WANT TO SHARE OTHER COMMENTS, BUT I'LL STOP THERE.

THANK YOU, MR. PEREZ. I, I SUPPORT WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER AND COUNCILMEMBER SD, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT I THINK WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH. IT WASN'T JUST TODAY. IT'S BEEN SEVERAL COUNCIL MEETINGS. WE'VE HEARD THE COMMUNITY SPEAK. IT GOT LOUDER. I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW, AND THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING ABOUT IT. THERE WAS NOT ONE RESIDENT THAT CAME, NOT TODAY, NOT THE OTHER COUNCIL MEETINGS, NOT THE TOWN HALL IN SUPPORT OF THE DATA CENTER. NOT ONE, NOT ONE.

SO I SUPPORT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT A BAN WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER THAN A MORATORIUM BECAUSE WE NEED. BUT WE ALSO I WANT TO TOUCH ON WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER REGAN SAID. WE DO NEED ELECTRICITY. WE DO NEED POWER. WE DO NEED TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO BRING A SUBSTATION TO OUR CITY TO HELP OUT, BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT DEVELOPMENT DOES STOP. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP. THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO CAME, NOT JUST TODAY, THE DAYS BEFORE, TO

[04:35:03]

RIGHT. WE CAN'T DO THAT. RIGHT, MR. ATTORNEY? THAT'S CORRECT. WE HAVE TO BRING THAT BACK. SO AN ORDINANCE, EVEN IF IT'S AN URGENCY ORDINANCE, RIGHT, WHERE WE START THAT STAGE AND THEN WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. YOU KNOW, I THINK LOOKING AT THAT OPTION AND I THINK WE'VE HEARD IT RIGHT AND LOOKING AT WHAT THAT WHAT AN ORDINANCE IS BECAUSE A MORATORIUM IS TEMPORARY. AND THEN IT SOMETIMES IN THE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE THE DON'T QUOTE ME ON HOW MANY MONTHS OR YEARS. AGAIN, IT ONLY LASTS X AMOUNT OF TIME. AND I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO THE STRONGHOLD AGREEMENT, THERE'S ANOTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT THE THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEW. AND THE THIRD LAW IS SO THAT B, B AND K, NO OFFENSE, MR. B, B AND K WROTE IT. SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO REVIEW IT WHERE THERE IS NO INTERFERENCE. RIGHT. AND WE'LL GET TO THAT ITEM. BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT, RIGHT, WE NEED TO JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE. I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN VIVIAN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DATA CENTERS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND IT'S IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE HERE NOW THAT EMERGENCY ORDINANCE THAT LEADS INTO A PERMANENT ORDINANCE, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS IT PEOPLE ALREADY SAID THEY DON'T WANT IT LIKE. LIKE WE SPENT HERE SIX HOURS A DAY ON. SO LET'S, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS ON THAT, BUT ALSO BRING BACK THE AGREEMENT FOR REVIEW AND PROPOSAL. YOU KNOW, I, I'LL, I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN VOTE ON IT IN PUBLIC AND JUST SAY THANK YOU. HAVE A NICE DAY. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WHAT THE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. BUT BUT FOR NOW, I'M OKAY WITH AN ORDINANCE, EMERGENCY ORDINANCE. CAN YOU SPEAK ON THAT? ARE WE ABLE TO TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW? WELL, SO THIS IS DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE I HAVE UNANIMOUS DIRECTION TO BRING BACK EMERGENCY ORDINANCE, WHICH SPEAKS TO A MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS, PERHAPS MICROGRIDS. AND SO WE CAN DISCUSS THE SCOPE IN MORE DETAIL AT THE NEXT MEETING. BUT I CAN BRING THAT BACK AS AN URGENCY ITEM, AND WE CAN DISCUSS THEN HOW PERMANENT YOU WANT THAT TO BE. LIFETIME FOR ALL GENERATIONS. SO, AND THEN AND THEN MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT. IS THAT SO FOR THE MORATORIUM, IT'S A 45 DAY EMERGENCY OR HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GO ABOUT IT? THAT'S RIGHT.

ORDINANCE TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO WRITE UP. THAT'S CORRECT. SO IT DEPENDS ON THE PROCESS AND WHETHER OR NOT A PUBLIC HEARING IS HELD. BUT IT'S MULTI-STEPS. AND THERE IS AN URGENCY ORDINANCE THAT YOU CAN PASS QUICKLY. HENCE THE URGENCY WHICH PROVIDES, I BELIEVE, FOR AN INITIAL 45 DAYS. RIGHT. AND WHEN YOU BRING AN ITEM BACK WITHIN THAT TIME, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU WANTED TO EXTEND THAT MORATORIUM, OKAY, LET'S DO THAT. DOES IT HAVE TO HAPPEN AT A REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING, OR CAN IT HAPPEN AT A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING? I BELIEVE IT CAN HAPPEN AT A SPECIAL OKAY. BUT FOR THIS URGENCY ORDINANCE, DO YOU WANT, I GUESS, IS THE DIRECTION JUST TO CONFIRM, TO BRING IT BACK AT OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING ON JUNE 10TH? NO, NO SPECIAL MEETING. CALL A SPECIAL MEETING EARLIER. WOULD YOU LIKE THAT TO OCCUR? THE SPECIAL MEETING. SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE. HOW FAST CAN YOU GET AN URGENCY ORDINANCE? NO. HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK YOU NEED? AT LEAST A COUPLE DAYS TO WORK THAT OUT.

COUPLE. YOU CAN BRING IT NEXT WEEK. OKAY. DO IT AN HOUR A DAY ON IT. SO. ALL RIGHT. SO SO RYAN, YOU WOULD IT WOULD BE NEXT WEEK MAYBE. RIGHT. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? MAYBE WEDNESDAY. WHAT DO YOU NEED THAT WORKS FOR COUNCIL NEXT WEDNESDAY. ARE WE ALL AVAILABLE THEN ON WEDNESDAY. JUNE 1ST. YEAH. I'M GOOD WITH YEAH. I'M. WAIT. SORRY. JUNE 1ST IS MONDAY.

I'M LOOKING AT MONDAY. ANYONE AVAILABLE? MONDAY IS. OKAY. I'M GOOD WITH JUNE 3RD. YEAH. WOULD IT BE AT REGULARLY SCHEDULED 6:00 SO THAT PEOPLE CAN COME AND ATTEND BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE AFTER THEIR WORK HOURS. SO IT'S CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE. YEAH. AND. YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO, I'LL HAVE TO JUST CHECK MY CALENDAR. CAN WE TENTATIVELY PENCIL THAT IN AND THEN WE CAN CONFIRM IT PUBLICLY AFTERWARDS OR, OR THURSDAY. THURSDAY COULD ALSO WORK AS WELL FOR ME IF IT

[04:40:03]

AND I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS HAVE A STUDY SESSION SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THAT JPA IS THAT WE SIGN, RIGHT? BECAUSE IN INDIO THEY HAVE A JPA WHERE THEY HAVE A SURCHARGE, RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL, BECAUSE I'VE JUST GOT MINE THE OTHER DAY IN THE MAIL, WE WE HAVE THE CITY OF COACHELLA HAS A UTILITY USERS TAX AT 5% FOR EVERY UTILITY.

AND IF YOU LOOK HOW MUCH THAT IS, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE BRING BACK A POTENTIALLY EITHER A SPECIAL MEETING, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER, OR AT THE NEXT REGULAR ONE, JUST SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS ABOUT WHAT THE ID JPA IS AND WHAT ITS INTENDED PURPOSE IS AND HOW THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN THIS. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THAT COMES, I GUESS, COMBINED WITH THIS ITEM, I THINK I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT UP. SO, SO I, I THINK IF, IF WE DO, IF WE'RE GOING TO BRING BACK THIS, THE, A SPECIAL MEETING, CAN WE JUST MAYBE DO THE STUDY SESSION? MAYBE WE CAN DO LIKE, YEAH, AT THE SAME TIME, STILL HAVE TWO ITEMS AND WE'LL HAVE THE, WE'LL HAVE THE URGENCY ORDINANCE WITH RESPECT TO THE MORATORIUM, A STUDY SESSION ON THE JPA WITH ID, CORRECT? YEAH. AND I'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET ALL THAT. AND WE NEED TO SEE OPTIONS TO GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT, OUT OF THE AGREEMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT, THAT GO AHEAD, RYAN, WHEN YOU'RE BRINGING BACK THE STUDY SESSION, CAN WE ALSO INCORPORATE JUST THE ENERGY NEEDS AND WHERE WE'RE AT AS FAR AS SOME OF THE STRUGGLES WITH THAT THAT WE'RE HAVING, WHERE DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN STALLED FOR FOR MANY YEARS? I THINK THAT BRINGS A BIT OF A HISTORY.

WHEN PEOPLE WERE ASKING THE WHY, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY DOES COME DOWN TO ENERGY NEEDS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT FOLKS REALLY MAYBE ARE AWARE OF HOW SEVERE IT IS IN THE CITY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT CANNOT MOVE, THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS COMMERCIAL WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. THERE'S SOME HOTELS THAT WANT TO COME IN OVER BY JACKSON. THERE ISN'T ANY ENERGY TO SUPPLY THEM. AND SO I WANT TO I JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND JUST WHERE WE'RE AT AS A CITY AND THE JPA THAT WE'VE ENTERED, WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED IT OUT IN THAT END. SO TALKING ABOUT THE THE RATES, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIKE BECAUSE COACHELLA RESIDENTS WILL BE IMPACTED BY IT, THE RATE INCREASES ARE GOING TO BE HAPPENING FOR 20 YEARS, FOR 20 YEARS. AND SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH IT. I HAVE A COMMENT TO MAKE, IF I MAY. WELL, WE'RE GOING TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'RE GOING TO DO PUBLIC COMMENTS. WE'RE GOING TO DO PUBLIC COMMENTS RIGHT NOW SO THAT YOU CAN TALK INTO PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THAT FINE? YEAH, IT'S JUST VERY QUICK. WE'LL WAIT. SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU. GO TO THE MICROPHONE. THANK YOU, MR. MOLINA. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE MICROPHONE, MR. MOLINA, PLEASE. WE'RE AT A VERY PECULIAR TIME IN HISTORY RIGHT HERE IN COACHELLA VALLEY, WHERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BREAK AWAY FROM ID. IT'S NOT THAT MUCH LONGER. IT'S 2020. IT'S 2033. YOU'RE A DOCTOR. YOU ALL SEEM LIKE WE CAN WE CAN FIGURE THIS OUT. AND I'M SURE THAT IF WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER, WE CAN WE CAN FIGURE OUT OUR ENERGY NEEDS. WE CAN DO IT. WE CAN DO IT INDEPENDENTLY. WE CAN DO IT. OKAY, REALLY QUICK COUNCIL, GIVE A QUICK UPDATE. AT THE STAFF LEVEL, WE HAVE HAD MEETINGS WITH ID AND THE DEVELOPERS COMMUNITY. SO TO THE QUESTION OF THE ELECTRIC LOAD NEEDED FOR SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WE HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY NUMBERS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE DEVELOPMENT GROUP WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE THEIR CALCULATIONS SO THAT WE CAN SUBMIT THOSE TO ID, SO THEY CAN RUN SOME CALCULATIONS ON THE LOAD NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE TRANSFORMERS. AND REGARDING THE SURCHARGE, WE HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY NUMBERS ON THAT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE, THAT I THINK STAFF WOULD BE READY TO PRESENT THOSE TO YOU AT THIS STUDY SESSION COMING UP FOR THE NEXT WEEK. ALSO, GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON WITH DATA CENTERS AT THE STAFF LEVEL, WE THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT TO PUMP THE BRAKES ON ANY SURCHARGE DISCUSSION, MAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE TIED BACK TO THE DATA CENTER,

[04:45:03]

1126. WHAT WILL THE COUNCIL WANT TO WE HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH.

AND WOULD THE COUNCIL BE OPEN TO ADJOURNING THE MEETING UNTIL A FURTHER DATE THIS WEEK? AND AFTER WE DO THE IMPORTANT ITEMS WE NEED TO VOTE ON, OR DO YOU WANT TO POWER IT THROUGH? I THROUGH THE VERY END, I, I PREFER JUST TO DO IT. OKAY. JUST WANTED TO ASK FOR YOUR GUYS'S OPINION AND IF EVERYONE'S OKAY WITH THAT, WE'LL POWER THROUGH TO THE

[Written Communications]

SO, MADAM CITY CLERK, IF YOU WANT TO READ THE NAMES THEN I CAN HELP YOU AS WELL. READ SOME IF YOU WANT. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO WE DID RECEIVE A MULTITUDE OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS. I WILL START OFF BY READING THE NAMES. THESE NAMES ARE IN OPPOSITION OF DATA CENTERS.

DIANA REZA, JOANNE LAMAS, BRENDA ORTIZ, JONATHAN BECERRA, MARTIN CASTRO, EMILY LEE, LAURA FANNIN, VANESSA. MARIBEL. RAMIREZ. ANAYANSI DEANDA, JOSE. REYES, THOMAS. JOHNSON, ASHLEY.

HERNANDEZ, FABIOLA. RIVERA, JESSICA. DOMINGUEZ, VANESSA. VIDAL, ENRIQUE. CORTEZ, DENISE.

LOPEZ, CONSUELO. MARQUEZ, BETSY. BACK, KEITH. NORRIS, ULISES. RAMIREZ, CLEMENTINA. BARRAGAN, KARINA. VILLALPANDO. EMERSON. STEIN. REYES. RIVERA. DEBORAH. ANN. MUM. CRYSTAL. GODINEZ.

MARIANA. LOPEZ. ENCINAS. MARINA. BELTRAN. DIANNE. MORALES, LUIS. MOLINA, ENRIQUE. VALENCIA, VANESSA. BECERRA. AND. WE HAVE THESE ARE ALSO IN OPPOSITION OF ITEM NUMBER OF DATA CENTER AS WELL. GONZALO. ROSA, FELIX. CARDENAS, LINDA. PONCE, ALEX. RUBALCAVA ABRAHAM, FELIX.

BALTAZAR, AGUIRRE JR, JUANITA. GIBBS, ADRIANA. RIVERA, SHERROD, MO. BASIRI, JANOS K, A Q, ONO, KAYLEE DEANDA, TONY RANGLIN, RUTH. GARCIA, SASHA. COOPER, CELESTE. VILLANUEVA, KATIE.

JOHNSON, CYNTHIA. DEANDA, SOPHIA. VELLIOS, HONORA DE ANDA AL PARTIDA, JACQUELINE CRUZ RAMIREZ, AND HERS WAS ON SMOKE FREE ZONES AND THEN JACQUELINE CRUZ ON DATA CENTER. ALEX PEREZ, DARREN PEPPER, HANNAH R, KATIE ADAYA, SANTIAGO LOPEZ, VILLANO, MAGDA. ZEPEDA SELIG, CELESTE VILLANUEVA AND PRISCILLA RODRIGUEZ. AND WE HAVE MORE AND IN OPPOSITION OF DATA CENTERS, EDNA CONTRERAS, EDITH CEBREROS, ALMA BAUTISTA, ELIN ORTIZ, RACHEL SHIREY, NANCY ROSAS, RICHIE DEMARI DE MARIA, JESSICA. GRAYBILL, PATRICK DALE, SIERRA ALVAREZ, CARMEN JOSEPH, ELISE SMITH, CAMILA URIBE, JUDY BUZZI, VANESSA RODRIGUEZ, JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ, CHERYL HAUSER, LUPITA DE LA CRUZ, YOLANDA MORENO. AVILA, FRANCISCO CARRILLO, KATERINA. DANIELLE PEREZ, ANA. LEON, CLAUDIA HERNANDEZ, VIVIANA. PICIRILLI, SELENA. FLORES, ARACELI. YBARRA.

LYDIA. CORTEZ. AMAYA. FIERRO, SAMANTHA. MESA, KAYLA. SMITH, AND THEN ALEXANDRA ESCHENBERG.

AND THESE ARE ALSO IN OPPOSITION POSITION OF DATA CENTERS. NORA SANCHEZ, GINA ARRIAGA, MARK FROM MIA, VICTORIA, VICTORIA L, ALEXANDRA G. IMPERATO, AIDEN KOCH, SARAH LEIBOWITZ, KAREN COOK, EVELYN DE LEON, MARIA ORTEGA, JAVIER REESE, STEPHANIE MARTINEZ, REBECCA RIVAS, YVONNE CARRILL CE TORRES, KEN BALL, AND LAURA JUAREZ, AND MORE ON OPPOSITION OF THE DATA CENTERS. KARINA HEREDIA, ODALYS BELTRAN, LORETTA PEREZ STATES THAT THERE IS A PETITION ATTACHED. GABRIELA GILBERT, RITA EL PESCADOR, PAULA WILKINSON WOOLWARD, CRISTINA RIVAS, RENEE DE LEON, SALVADOR CARDENAS, KELLY SCHULTZ, LINDA SHUBIN, LUCIA. MENDOZA, GAIL. DOUGLAS, TONY. RINGLING, JESSICA PARKER, GAIL WEST, AND LINDA JOYCE

[04:50:02]

WELL, WE HAVEN'T WE HAVEN'T MADE A MOTION AND VOTED ON. MONTH. DO WE VOTE ON DIRECTION? IT WAS DIRECTION. DIRECTION. IT WAS DIRECTION. YEAH. SO I ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BACK TO FOR

[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)]

KARINA CABRERA I'M JUST GOING TO LIST THE NAMES. SO IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE, YOU CAN START COMING INTO THE CHAMBERS. KARINA CABRERA, LAURA. LORETTA PEREZ, OH, OCHOA. AMERICA, NORIEGA AND JESUS GONZALEZ. AND JAMES RODRIGUEZ. ALL RIGHT, GIVE ME JUST ONE MOMENT. I HAVE ONE OF THOSE. SO WE'LL START WITH THOSE. SO LORETTA'S HERE SO SHE CAN COME. OKAY. SO I DID ALREADY KIND OF SPEAK BECAUSE I WAS UNAWARE THAT WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT NUMBER 18 THE FIRST TIME. SO I, I DID ALREADY SPEAK, BUT I WANT TO SAY I HAVE THE TIME NOW. I DO APPRECIATE YOU REQUESTING AN ORDINANCE. YADIRA, I REALLY DO. I DO APPRECIATE, MAYOR FRANK, THAT YOU REQUESTED AN ORDINANCE AND AS WELL AS WELL, I GUESS WHAT YOU GUYS REQUESTED A MORATORIUM, BUT WE ARE REQUESTING WE OUT HERE KEEP HEARING FROM THE LAWYER MORATORIUM, MORATORIUM.

BUT YOU REQUESTED MAYOR AN ORDINANCE TO COME BACK TO SPEAK ABOUT AN ORDINANCE. SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE KEEP HEARING MORATORIUM OUT THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE KEEP HEARING IT LIKE JUST BAD CONNECTION. BUT THAT'S ALL WE'RE HEARING IS A MORATORIUM. SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT'S NOT BEING SAID AS AN ORDINANCE TO COME BACK. THERE'S STEPS TO WHAT YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN TO IT. YEAH. THE MORATORIUM IS IS PASSED VIA AN ORDINANCE. AN ORDINANCE IS PREPARED TO IMPLEMENT A MORATORIUM. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC'S KIND OF CONFUSED OUT THERE BECAUSE WE DO KEEP ON ASKING FOR THAT.

IT'S IT'S YEAH. SO THE ORDINANCE WILL COME AFTER THE MORATORIUM. IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? RIGHT? MORATORIUM IS IS APPROVED AS AN ORDINANCE. GOT IT. IT'S SO IT'S AN ORDINANCE. THE MORATORIUM IS AN ORDINANCE, A COMPLETE BAN ON DATA CENTERS. WELL, THAT'S MY QUESTION BECAUSE BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT YOU, MAYOR THE MAYOR ASKED FOR WAS A COMPLETE BAN.

YEAH. IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN MULTIPLE STEPS. SO THE FIRST STEP, BASED ON COUNCIL'S DIRECTION, IS TO BRING BACK IT'S GOING TO BE AN ORDINANCE THAT IMPLEMENTS AN AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE, A MORATORIUM. GOT IT. OKAY. THAT'S THE FIRST STEP. AND THEN THEY CAN TAKE ADDITIONAL STEPS IF NEEDED TO EXTEND THAT PROCESS. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR CLEARING THAT UP.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE CONFUSED OUT THERE. AND THEN JUST REALLY QUICK, LORETTA, FOR THE PEOPLE HERE, THE ATTORNEY HAS EXPLAINED THIS TO US MANY, MANY TIMES. SO EVERYBODY HERE ON COUNCIL KNEW THAT THERE HAD TO BE AN EMERGENCY MORATORIUM, WHICH IS ADOPTED AS AN ORDINANCE. SO WHEN I SAID A MORATORIUM, IT'S BECAUSE HE'S ALREADY SHARED WHAT THE STEPS TO DO IT. EXACTLY. OKAY. SO THE MORATORIUM ISN'T ORDINANCE. AND THEN THAT'S THE FIRST STEP. AND THEN YOU GO INTO THE LONGER, OKAY, WE CAN'T HEAR MUCH OUT THERE. SO SOMETIMES BECAUSE THE WIND IS CRAZY. THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO CLARIFY EVERYTHING. THANK YOU GUYS. APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE FRANCISCO, FRANKIE MOLINA, MR. MOLINA, NON-AGENDA ITEMS. I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO ALL OF YOU WITHOUT THE USE OF AI. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR I'M NOT AGAINST AI, BUT I'M AGAINST IS PEOPLE LIKE THIS COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO BUILD AI INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS DESTRUCTIVE BECAUSE I AM AN AI USER AND I'M GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR AI, BUT I'M GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR IT IN AN ETHICAL AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY.

YES, THERE IS THAT. I'M NOT THAT'S NOT A DISCUSSION FOR RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT I'M TELLING

[04:55:01]

I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR. BUT WE HAVE TO FIND OUT HOW TO DO IT. NONDESTRUCTIVELY BECAUSE AI. CAN ENABLE US AND EMPOWER US TO DO SO MUCH, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE DEPLOY IT, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, ALL THOSE SCARY MOVIES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ME SHARING MY IDEAS ABOUT THE MORATORIUM AND SHARING ALL THESE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, YOU KNOW, PALANTIR CAN JUST RECORD ME OR HAVE METADATA ABOUT MY APPLE WATCH OR MY PHONE AND OR THE WI-FI SIGNAL THAT IT SHOWS ME THAT I'M RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY HAVE A BIO SIGNAL ON ME AND THEY CAN SHOOT A DRONE DOWN AND JUST TAKE EVERYBODY IN THIS BUILDING OUT, YOU KNOW, SO I'M, I'M FIGHTING A WAR AGAINST THAT AI. THAT'S NOT THE AI I WANT. I WANT THE AI THAT'S GOING TO HELP US HAVE BETTER COMMUNITIES. IT'S GOING TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO BUILD OUR OWN INFRASTRUCTURE? HOW CAN HOW ARE WE GOING TO USE AI TO HELP US FIND THE SOLUTION TO GET OUR ENERGY NEEDS SOLVED? YOU KNOW, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S NOT THE AI THAT SOLVED IT. IT'S YOU THAT DID IT BECAUSE THE AI DOESN'T REPLACE YOU, IT ENABLES YOU. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, JAMES RODRIGUEZ. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. MY FIRST AND PRIMARY CONCERN HERE. NOW THAT WE'VE GOT OUR DATA CENTER ISSUE RESOLVED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. I COMMEND ALL OF YOU.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE MY OWN PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS THE MAYOR OF CITY OF COACHELLA AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE LISTENED TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND MADE AN DECISION TO CREATE AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE, WE COMMEND YOU AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT OUR WORK IS DONE. MAKING SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WANT. WE HAVE HAD TO TELL YOU IN 2021 AND 2023, WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THE CITY COUNCILS OR NOT. STAFF MEMBERS, ATTORNEY, WHOEVER WE HAVE TOLD YOU REPEATEDLY, WE DO NOT WANT FLOCK CAMERAS. WE HAVE SAID IT, WE HAVE DONE IT, WE HAVE MENTIONED IT. AND YOU GUYS HAD I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER'S IDEA, BUT YOU SEEMED VERY INTERESTED IN BRINGING UP THE SHERIFFS FOR THE BUDGET MEETING THAT WE WERE HAVING A CLOSED SESSION, PRIVATE SPECIAL SESSION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST FOR THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER JUST SO HAPPENED TO HAVE A BUDGET HEARING AT THE BOTTOM OF IT. AND SO WHEN I WAS LISTENING, I HEARD THAT WE HAVE A SHERIFF THAT'S GOING TO BE ON A BIKE. WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THAT. WE'RE GOING TO PUT TWO POLICE PATROLS OUT ON A BIKE. OKAY, GREAT. THAT'S ONE THING. WE ALREADY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH OUR RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF'S CONTRACT. BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN FLOCK CAMERAS AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME IN FIVE YEARS, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WHEN SOMEBODY KEEPS ASKING YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS? DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS? DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS? AND YOU KEEP SAYING, NO, NO, NO, AND THEY MAKE YOU DO IT. WE HAVE A WORD FOR THAT. COERCION. DO NOT BE COERCED BY THE SHERIFF, BY A SITTING INTERIM MANAGER. ANYBODY THAT GIVES YOU ANY IDEA THAT FLOCK IS GOING TO BENEFIT US IS JUST AS ADEPT AND JUST WRONG AS THEY ARE ABOUT THE DATA CENTER BEING A GOOD CHOICE FOR MUNICIPAL UTILITY, YOU HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ANY PERCEIVED BENEFITS THAT YOUR PEOPLE THAT COME UP HERE AND GIVE YOU AS A PRESENTATION FOR YOU TO GIVE THEM MONEY, HAS TO BE TAKEN WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. THEY ARE, OF COURSE, GOING TO SAY, IT IS BRILLIANT. IT IS AWESOME. WE HAVE ALL OF THESE PROJECTIONS. WE HAVE ALL OF THIS POTENTIAL. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT POTENTIAL IS GOING TO OUTWEIGH THE POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS OF POORLY MANAGED DATA. POORLY EXECUTED CONTRACTS, OR DATA THAT IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE USED BY THIRD PARTIES OR THE GOVERNMENT. THAT IS NOT REALLY INTENDED TO BE FOR WHAT THE FLOCK CAMERAS WERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT UP, WE HAVE ASHBY AND STEPHANIE. DO YOU HAVE GENERAL ON YOUR FORM? DID YOU WANT OKAY, YOU'LL BE UP NEXT. HELLO. GOOD. GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE. JUST WANT TO FIRST

[05:00:01]

AS MENTIONED, THERE ARE ALL THESE AI ALGORITHMS THAT ARE USED TO COMMIT WAR CRIMES TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF MILITARIZATION AND COMMUNITIES HERE AND ABROAD. SO AI IS HARMFUL. AND, YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT'S HARMING OUR CHILDREN TO THE WAY IT'S BEING PUSHED ONTO THE SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT'S HARMING HOW KIDS ARE BEING RAISED, HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO FUNCTION AND THINK CRITICALLY OR THINK FOR THEMSELVES. LIKE, HOW ABOUT WE JUST LOOK FOR BOOKS, YOU KNOW, HOW ABOUT WE GO BACK TO THAT? ANYWAY, I'M JUST RAMBLING. IT'S LATE, BUT AGAIN, WE'LL BE THERE AND WE'LL MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. STEPHANIE AMBRIZ. SO I HAD COMMENTS DRAFTED FOR GENERAL COMMENTS, AND I ENDED UP ACTUALLY READING THEM DURING ITEM 18 BECAUSE WE COULDN'T HEAR OUT THERE WHAT ITEM WE WERE ON. SO THE COMMENTS I GAVE THIS MORNING WERE ACTUALLY MY GENERAL COMMENTS AND MY ITEM 18 COMMENTS FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, IN WHICH THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR STRONGHOLD, JONATHAN AVILA, HAD INFILTRATED A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, ALSO ADDRESSING THE MASS TEXTING THAT RESIDENTS RECEIVED FROM STRONGHOLD, WHICH WAS WILDLY INAPPROPRIATE. AND THEN, I GUESS I ALSO WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT ERNIE RIOS HAD SHARED ABOUT THE FACT THAT IN YOUR AGREEMENT THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY BB K, RIGHT? IT WAS NEGOTIATED BY BB K, AND THEN BB K RECOMMENDED THAT YOU APPROVE THAT REALLY HORRIBLE AGREEMENT.

AS A COMMUNITY WAS NEVER CONSULTED ABOUT THE ANNEXATION. THE COUNCIL WAS NEVER CONSULTED ABOUT THE ANNEXATION. YET THAT AGREEMENT WAS DRAFTED. IT WAS NEGOTIATED AND RECOMMENDED UPON.

AND THEN YOU ALL VOTED TO APPROVE IT. SO I JUST THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND THEN I ALSO, I GUESS, FOR ITEM 17, AND I CAN REVISIT THESE COMMENTS THEN AS WELL, I WANTED TO FOCUS ON BB K BECAUSE 17 IS GOING TO COME UP. IF YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR COMMENTS FOR THEN OKAY, I WILL SAVE IT FOR ITEM 17. I'M I'M NOT DONE YET THOUGH. YOU I, I DO COMMEND YOU FOR INTRODUCING THE ORDINANCE, THE URGENCY ORDINANCE. WE ARE NOT DONE FIGHTING YOU AND STRONGHOLD. RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE HERE UNTIL THAT ORDINANCE IS IN PLACE AND IT'S PERMANENT. SO JUST KNOW THAT WHAT YOU SAW TODAY AS FAR AS RESIDENTS HERE TURNING OUT IN WHAT LOOKED LIKE MORE THAN A THOUSAND, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS CONTINUE TO SHOW UP UNTIL THAT ORDINANCE IS IN PLACE. AND FROM NOW ON, I THINK A LOT OF US ARE GOING TO KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON THE AGENDA, BECAUSE A LOT OF MISINFORMED DECISIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE. AND THOSE DECISIONS HAVE LONG LASTING CONSEQUENCES FOR US AS RESIDENTS. AND I HOPE, I HOPE THAT THIS SITS WITH YOU AND THAT YOU REALIZE THE GRAVITY OF THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU CAMPAIGNED, ONCE YOU GOT ON THOSE SEATS, THE REAL WORK BEGINS. YOU HAVE TO STAY CRITICAL. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO RESIDENTS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, DON'T VOTE ON IT UNTIL YOU DO KNOW. AND DON'T JUST LISTEN TO PEOPLE WITHIN YOUR CIRCLE. I'LL SEE YOU GUYS ON ITEM 17. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE PRECIOUS HURST. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO US AND FOR MAKING A GOOD DECISION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND FOR YOURSELF. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, DENISE, THAT YOU WERE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT

[05:05:04]

AMERICA NORIEGA. OTHERWISE, IF WE HAVE ANYONE ON ZOOM. OKAY. GO AHEAD. JOANNA. I DIDN'T SEE IT. SO GO AHEAD. JOANNA LAMAS. HELLO AGAIN. COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOANNA LAMAS. I'M ACTUALLY A THERMAL RESIDENT, AND I'M TIRED AND I'M NOT TIRED JUST BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE MIDNIGHT. AND WE ALL WORKED ALL DAY. I'M TIRED OF THESE ATTACKS ON OUR DEMOCRACY. I'M TIRED OF HAVING, FROM THE TOP OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOWN TO OUR LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT, DOWN TO OUR PLANNING COMMISSION HERE IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA, NOT LISTENING UNTIL IT COMES TO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SO THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE YELLING AND SCREAMING AND THREATENING. LIKE, WHY DID IT HAVE TO GET TO THIS POINT FOR YOU TO FINALLY HEAR US? I JUST THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE FINALLY LISTENING, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT'S STILL TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE FOR ME. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ALL SHOWED US WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

AND I, I'M SO SORRY THAT THIS IS WHO YOU REALLY ARE. IT IS WHAT IT IS, I GUESS. AND I DON'T THINK MOST OF YOU WILL MAKE IT THROUGH TO THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE. I'M SO SORRY.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION TO THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT ON THE LOT ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD AND HIGHWAY 86. THAT PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WAS PUSHED THROUGH BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. WITHOUT THEM READING ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS ATTACHED TO IT, IT IS ANOTHER EXPANSION THAT WILL ONLY BENEFIT THE ULTRA WEALTHY. WHILE IT HARMS THE THERMAL COMMUNITY THAT LIVES RIGHT NEXT DOOR, THE THE EIR THAT WAS COMPLETED CITED THAT THERE WERE REAL AND MEASURABLE THREATS THAT WILL BE CAUSED BY THIS PROJECT, TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID NOT CARE. THEY ONLY CARED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL REVENUE. THIS LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FOR THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY OF THERMAL CANNOT CONTINUE. THAT'S NOT BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR. WE DON'T WANT TO BE ANNEXED. WE LIKE BEING ON OUR OWN. WE DON'T WANT WAREHOUSES AND GAS STATIONS AND LIGHT POLLUTION AND AN UGLY, UGLY BILLBOARD TO BE BUILT RIGHT THERE ON OUR OFF RAMP. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE CITY'S SOCIAL MEDIA. YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE THE COMMENTS TURNED OFF ON CERTAIN ITEMS. I KNOW THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER SAID THAT IT WAS FOR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND ITEMS TO ENGAGE WITH. I THINK THAT'S RIDICULOUS. YOU CAN'T CHERRY PICK WHEN YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND WHEN YOU DON'T. AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT COMMENTS WERE TURNED OFF AFTER THE BEHAVIOR OF A CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER WAS CALLED OUT AND SPOTLIGHTED. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DO WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR OWN TIME, BUT THAT'S NOT A REASON TO SILENCE THE COMMUNITY.

IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE PUBLIC OUTRAGE AND PUBLIC BACKLASH, MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN PUBLIC OFFICE. THANK YOU. THIS PUBLIC COMMENT NOT FOR THE PAYMENT. PUBLIC JUST SAID HE WANTED TO DO PUBLIC EARLIER. CAN YOU JUST STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE? AND. MY NAME IS JOSE MANUEL ARREDONDO. I WAS HERE EARLIER TODAY AND I CAME PREPARED AND AS I WAS OUTSIDE,

[05:10:01]

PROMOTING MICHAEL SIGMAN.

MICHAEL, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. GO AHEAD. OKAY. MAYOR FIGUEROA, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M MIKE SIGMAN. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT, SO I'LL BE BRIEF. I SPOKE TO YOU ON MAY 13TH ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE CAP ON HOMES THAT OPERATE HERE IN COACHELLA.

AND I'M BACK TONIGHT WITH A VERY SIMPLE REQUEST. I THOUGHT ABOUT A LOT WHAT WHAT I SAID LAST TIME AND, AND HOW I CAME IN. AND I CAME IN, I TALKED ABOUT TAX REVENUE AND PROPERTY VALUES. AND THOSE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU ARE REAL, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY AT THE HEART OF WHAT I WANT THIS COUNCIL TO HEAR. THE HEART IS THE PEOPLE AND THE CLEANERS, THE HANDYMAN, THE POOL TECHS, THE GARDENERS, THE COACHELLA RESIDENTS WHO WORK, AND I DEPEND ON THEM AND THEY DEPEND ON ME FOR THIS WORK AND THESE NEIGHBORS THAT I'VE BUILT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. AND THE FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS WHO SEND ME WITH THEIR SAVINGS TO INVEST IN PROPERTIES BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN BUY THEIR OWN HOMES, AND WHO ARE NOW WATCHING THAT INVESTMENT SLIP AWAY. AND I MY REQUEST IS THAT THOSE VOICES GET HEARD HERE, NOT JUST MY VOICE ALONE. I WOULD LOVE FOR THE COUNCIL TO HEAR THOSE VOICES. SO MY REQUEST TONIGHT IS PROCEDURAL, AND I'D LIKE TO BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR A FOCUSED DISCUSSION ON HOW THE CAP IS AFFECTING THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DO THIS WORK IN COACHELLA AND HAVE INVESTED THEIR, THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIFE SAVINGS IN THESE PROPERTIES. AND I'D LIKE TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE WITH ME SO YOU CAN HEAR FROM THEM DIRECTLY. AND I'LL FOLLOW UP IN WRITING WITH THE CITY CLERK TOMORROW. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'LL GET TO BED AND I HOPE YOU GUYS DO TOO. THANK YOU, MR. SIGMAN. THANK YOU. OKAY. NO OTHER COMMENT. NO OTHER COMMENTS. RIGHT, JASON? IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE ON ZOOM WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THERE AREN'T NONE. OKAY. WITH THAT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO

[Consent Calendar]

A SECOND. JUST A SECOND. OKAY. COUNCIL, PLEASE. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER. PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL

[05:15:05]

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY LOWERED THEIR HANDS. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY,

[New Business Calendar (Legislative and Administrative) (Part 2 of 2)]

YES. THANK YOU. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AS YOU ALL KNOW, AFTER AN EXTENSIVE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF INTERVIEWS, COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BE NEGOTIATED WITH ITS CHOSEN CANDIDATE, GUSTAVO ROMO, AND BE BROUGHT BACK FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL AT TONIGHT'S MEETING. MR. RAMOS IS HERE TONIGHT, AND HE HAS AGREED TO SERVE AS THE CITY'S NEXT CITY MANAGER. MR. ROMO BRINGS OVER 32 YEARS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE WORKING FOR CITIES THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER OF BEAUMONT AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. PREVIOUSLY, MR. ROMO SERVED AS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF BELL GARDENS AND PRIOR TO THAT HAS SERVED NUMEROUS CITIES AS ITS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. WITH THIS APPROVAL, MR. ROMO WILL BE APPOINTED THE CITY MANAGER AND EMPLOYED PURSUANT TO THE TERMS OF THE CITY MANAGER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT. KEY TERMS OF THOSE AGREEMENT OF THAT AGREEMENT INCLUDES AN ANNUAL SALARY OF $300,000, AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION INTO A RETIREMENT ACCOUNT AT 6% OF BASE PAY, USE OF A CITY VEHICLE, AND THIS IS IN LIEU OF A CAR ALLOWANCE AND A TECHNOLOGY FEE ALLOWANCE, WHICH WAS IN THE PRIOR CITY MANAGER AGREEMENT. THE CITY VEHICLE WILL BE FROM THE CITY'S EXISTING FLEET. THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT IS FOR THREE YEARS, AND THE CITY MANAGER'S PERFORMANCE WILL BE REVIEWED NO LESS THAN ANNUALLY. IF APPROVED, MR. ROMO WILL COMMENCE HIS SERVICE ON JUNE 15TH. AND WITH THAT IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET IS THE PROPOSED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, ALONG WITH THE RESOLUTION APPOINTING MR. ROMO AS THE NEXT CITY MANAGER. WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKER FORMS FOR ITEM NUMBER 15. IS THERE ANYONE ON ZOOM? FRANCISCO. FRANCO. MOLINA. I COUNCIL FOR ITEM 15. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO MOVING FORWARD IS THAT I REALLY YOU DON'T WANT YOU ALL TO BE INFLUENCED BY ANYBODY THAT IS RELATED TO STRONGHOLD AND ANYBODY WHO'S DONE BUSINESS WITH THEM. IN COACHELLA, IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA SINCE THEY STARTED HERE IN 2019, WHICH INCLUDES VBC. I'LL DISCUSS THAT ITEM FURTHER ON ITEM 17, BUT I, I WANT BBK OUT OF OUR CITY AND. FOR RIGHT NOW ON THIS ITEM, WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS I DON'T WANT. OUR NEW MANAGER TO HAVE ANY TIES TO STRONGHOLD WHATSOEVER AND ANY OF THE CLUSTER ON AJAX WRECKING ZONE, WHATEVER IT IS OVER THERE ON 48, THEY'RE ALL BUSINESS PARTNERS.

THEY'RE ALL DOING PARTNERS. THEY'RE ALL DOING BUSINESS TOGETHER. BBK HAS NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS FOR THEM ON ELECTRICAL UTILITY EASEMENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THERE'S CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE SITTING HERE NOW TODAY, BUT. YEAH, I JUST REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHO WE BRING IN. AND YEAH, I JUST DON'T WANT ANYBODY THAT'S TIED TO STRONGHOLD AT ALL WHATSOEVER. SO ANY BUSINESS PARTNERS THAT INCLUDES URBAN FUTURES, THAT INCLUDES CV STRATEGIES, ANY TIES I DON'T WANT I DON'T WANT ANYBODY CONNECTED TO STRONGHOLD AT ALL WHATSOEVER BECAUSE I LIKE, I DON'T WANT THEM TO TRY TO COME BACK AND INFILTRATE OUR CITY AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE JAMES

[05:20:02]

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ON ZOOM? DOES ANYBODY ON ZOOM WHO'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 15? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THERE ARE NONE. OKAY. WHAT ARE THE WISHES OF THE COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM? DISCUSS THIS HEAVILY. SO THE CITY MANAGER, THE GUEST IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. SO. SO SO GUS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN INTERVIEWED THREE TIMES. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HE JUST WASN'T FOUND JUST RECENTLY. IT'S BEEN MANY, MANY MONTHS. HE'S BEEN INTERVIEWED THREE TIMES AND HE'S BEEN VETTED A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES. SO JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW IS THAT WE DIDN'T JUST GET SOMEONE ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S BEEN ONE OF THE TOP CANDIDATES THROUGHOUT THE THE THREE MONTHS THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR CITY MANAGER, BUT HE'S BEEN INTERVIEWED THREE TIMES AND THREE TIMES. HE'S BEEN THE TOP PERSON. AND PRIOR TO THAT, HE'S BEEN VETTED TWO TIMES. SO ALTOGETHER, IT'S FIVE TIMES. JUST WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE HISTORY ON THAT. AND THEN RYAN, HE GAVE UP STUFF THAT WE HAD GIVEN TO PRIOR CITY MANAGERS. RIGHT. CAN YOU MENTION WHAT HE GAVE UP? YEAH. AS FAR AS THE COMPENSATION TERMS COMPARED TO THE PRIOR AGREEMENT THAT WAS BEFORE YOU, HE GAVE UP RELOCATION BENEFIT. HE DOES NOT HE'S NOT REQUESTING ANY RELOCATION BENEFITS. HE'S NOT REQUESTING THE CAR ALLOWANCE, WHICH IS $500 IN PRIOR AGREEMENTS. AND HE'S NOT REQUESTING A TECHNOLOGY ALLOWANCE, WHICH WAS $150 IN THE PRIOR YEAR. AND THE RELOCATION BEFORE WAS HOW MUCH? UP TO 15, 15,000. SO HE'S WAIVING ALL OF IT. IT'S ACTUALLY A SAVINGS. AND THEN HE HE DID SHARE THAT HE WOULD BE USING ANY VEHICLE. SO THE VEHICLE HE WOULD BE GETTING IS NOT, YOU KNOW, TOP TIER

[05:25:05]

OKAY. I'LL TAKE A ROLL. COUNCILMEMBER PEREZ. YES. COUNCILMEMBER DELGADO YES.

COUNCILMEMBER BEACON I MAYOR FIGUEROA I CONGRATULATIONS, MR. RAMOS. WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE 15TH. WE'LL DO IT AFTERWARDS. YEAH. SO WE'LL DO THAT. SO WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM NUMBER 16, THE CONSIDERATION OF THE FILLING OF THE COUNCIL VACANCY. MR. RIGHT. YES. THANK YOU. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS ITEM IS BEING BROUGHT BACK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AT OUR LAST REGULAR MEETING, YOU DIRECTED STAFF TO ADVERTISE THE VACANCY ON THE COUNCIL BY WAY OF OPENING UP AN APPLICATION PROCESS. THAT APPLICATION PROCESS. EXCUSE ME. I'M LOSING MY VOICE HERE WAS OPENED ON MAY 14TH. IT RAN THROUGH MAY 26TH, WHICH WAS YESTERDAY AT 5 P.M.

WHEN IT CLOSED. THE APPLICATION WAS POSTED ONLINE. IT WAS ALSO ADVERTISED ON OUR WEBSITE AND THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. THROUGH THAT APPLICATION PROCESS, A TOTAL OF TEN ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED. THOSE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU. THOSE ALSO ARE MADE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. AND AT THIS POINT, WE'RE COMING BACK FOR DIRECTION FROM YOU ON NEXT STEPS. WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS AGENDIZED FOR AN APPOINTMENT, WHETHER YOU WANT TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS OF THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS. AT THIS POINT, WE WE SEEK YOUR DIRECTION. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM FROM THE PUBLIC? ANGELA, I APOLOGIZE. YES, SORRY, I'M GETTING HUNGRY OVER HERE. JAMES RODRIGUEZ.

GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. SO JUST LIKE I'VE, YOU KNOW, REITERATED IN THE PAST, I, I APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE ONLY TEN APPLICANTS, WHICH MEANS WE CAN HAVE A VERY THOROUGH COMMUNITY SESSION. RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU GUYS WERE WORRIED ABOUT 30, 40, 80 APPLICANTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FILTER THEM OUT. TEN IS NOTHING. TEN IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. EACH ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE COULD HAVE TEN MINUTES TO TALK, AND WE WOULD STILL HAVE A SHORTER MEETING THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD TODAY. RIGHT? ALL OF OUR PUBLIC CAN COME THROUGH AND ALL OF OUR PUBLIC CAN ASK A QUESTION, OR THEY CAN CREATE A SURVEY LIKE YOU GUYS LOVE TO DO WITH YOUR SURVEY MONKEYS FIGURE OUT WHAT SURVEY, WHAT QUESTIONS YOUR PEOPLE WANT TO ASK ON TOP OF YOURS. THAT MISSING FIFTH SEAT IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF US. AND IF THAT REPRENTATIVE IS NOT THERE, YOU SHOULD DEFER THAT CHOICE TO THE PEOPLE, RIGHT? JUST LIKE WE NORMALLY SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. LET'S PUT IT ON THE BALLOT. IT'S THE SAME THING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO. YOU HAVE A LOT OF REGISTERED VOTERS. YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO COME AND AND SUPPORT. THEY'VE SUPPORTED YOU. RIGHT? SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN BACK A CAMPAIGN. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DECISIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO MAKE FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THOSE DECISIONS, JUST LIKE WHAT OUR MR. MAYOR DID TODAY, WE WILL HOLD YOU TO WHEN YOU COME THROUGH AND YOU SAY, WE WANT TO DO THIS. THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WHEN I GET ELECTED. AND THEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE, WE EXPECT YOU TO DO IT AND WE WILL COMMEND YOU, AND WE WILL THANK YOU AND WE WILL SUPPORT YOU WHEN YOU DO.

IT IS A GIVE AND TAKE. THIS IS A CAMARADERIE THAT WE MUST HAVE TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. AND SO GIVE US THAT CAMARADERIE. LET US HAVE A VOICE. LET US ASK, WHO IS GOING TO REPRESENT US? THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM. IS THERE ANYONE ON ZOOM? IS ANYBODY ON ZOOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 16? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. SO THERE ARE NONE. OKAY, SO IN THIS ITEM WE HAD TALKED ABOUT BEFORE ABOUT HAVING A SPECIAL MEETING. SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT WOULD WORK FOR COUNCIL TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING FOR IT BE ACCESSIBLE TO DISCUSS THIS. OR DO YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A I KNOW THAT COUNCILWOMAN DELGADO HAD BROUGHT UP THE. HOW CLOSE. WE WAITED TILL THE 10TH

[05:30:04]

SO WE DO THE INTERVIEWS OPENLY. WE DO THE QUESTIONS, FOLLOW UPS TO THE CANDIDATES OPENLY, AND THEN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALSO. THEN, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEM, YOU MAKE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS JUST LIKE IT WOULD ANY OTHER. DOES THAT HELP WITH IT? RIGHT. SO, SO I'M OKAY WITH WITH WHATEVER DAY THAT MY COLLEAGUES WANT. I JUST, I JUST ASK THAT WE KEEP, KEEP IN MIND FOR, FOR STAFF IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING TO SPECIAL MEETINGS FOR THEM. SO WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THEM CLEAR DIRECTION AS TO WHAT WE WANT. DOES ANYBODY HAVE A DATE IN MIND? AND I'M OKAY, WE CAN DO A POLL. I JUST WANTED TO IF WE CAN GET A POLL TOMORROW AND SEE, AND BECAUSE A SPECIAL MEETING WILL BE NOTICED IN 24 HOURS. SO. IF YOU GUYS WANT TO DO SATURDAY, I CAN DO SATURDAY, I CAN DO THIS SATURDAY. WE CAN I KNOW YOU'RE OPEN. I'M OPEN TO SATURDAY. THAT WORKS FOR ME. WE CAN DO LIKE A 10 A.M. JUST NOT REALLY A MORNING. THAT'S RIGHT.

I GET OFF IN THE MORNING. SO. SO YOU DO IT AT TEN? ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO REACH OUT TO ALL THE CANDIDATES AS WELL TO SEE IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE TWO DAYS? THAT'S RIGHT. SO WE CAN, AS SOON AS THE DATE IS DECIDED, WE CAN. IF SATURDAY IS THE DATE FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING, WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE PHONE CALLS TOMORROW TO THE INTERESTED CANDIDATES TO DETERMINE THEIR AVAILABILITY. YEAH. ANDREW. I DO JUST WANT TO COMMENT. THE LIBRARY DOES OFTEN WORK ON WEEKENDS ON SOME EVENTS, BUT FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING I CAN SEND YOU A FULL SCHEDULE FOR THE LIBRARY. OKAY? SO I CAN HELP YOU WITH THE TIMING OF THE DAY, SO I CAN LET YOU KNOW WHAT DAY IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE. OKAY. THAT WAY WE CAN DECIDE RIGHT NOW WOULD BE BECAUSE WE HAVE ELECTIONS BEING POSTED AT THE GENERAL WELLNESS CENTER. YEAH. DR. D IS CURRENTLY HOSTING CLASSES, THE LIBRARY, THAT'S BASICALLY THE CLASSES. SO WE CAN CERTAINLY WE CAN OBVIOUSLY, STAFF CAN WORK TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE SPACES. YEAH. WE WANT TO SEE WHAT OTHER SPACES ARE. AND OF COURSE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE ALL THE TEN PEOPLE CAN SHOW UP ON SATURDAY AS WELL. BUT I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE FULL SCHEDULE OF AVAILABILITY FOR TOMORROW. OKAY. BASED ON THAT. AND THEN BASED ON THAT AND DEPENDING ON THAT, THEN RYAN CAN REACH OUT TO US IF THERE'LL BE A SCHEDULING CONFLICT. WELL, SHOULD WE JUST GO AHEAD JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, MAYBE CHOOSE ANOTHER DAY IN CASE THAT SATURDAY IS BOOKED? MAYBE SO THAT IF JUNE 4TH OR THURSDAY. OR FRIDAY. EITHER ONE OF THOSE TASTEBUDS. IF WE. WE JUST HAVE

[05:35:13]

AND I REALLY I REALLY WANT THEM TO KNOW AGAIN WHERE THAT WHY CAME AND REALLY HOW COMPLICATED THINGS ARE FOR US. AND THEN KEEP IN MIND, WE ONLY HAVE 89 EMPLOYEES, 89 EMPLOYEES FOR 45,000 RESIDENTS. AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM TOO, YOU KNOW, SO I, AND I KNOW THAT'S SEPARATE, BUT JUST RETHINKING, RETHINKING THAT. WELL, YOU CAN STILL COME AND THEN WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION ON KIND OF THOSE IDEAS IN THERE AND THAT ONE AS WELL. SO WE COULD DO THAT AS WELL. CAN WE GIVE THE DATES NOW FOR THE. OKAY, SO I HEARD SO THE IDEALLY THE 30TH, RIGHT.

THE 30TH. BUT THEN YOU GUYS ALSO SET THE FOURTH. YEAH. AND THE FIFTH. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH, THOSE WERE GOOD. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU HAVE, IF THAT WORKS FOR THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL, THEN I'LL WORK WITH STAFF. WE'LL CALL THE CANDIDATES TO DETERMINE THEIR AVAILABILITY. AND WE'LL TENTATIVELY HAVE IT SCHEDULED EITHER ON THE 30TH, THE FOURTH OR THE FIFTH OR THE 30TH. IT'S A SATURDAY. IT SOUNDS LIKE A MORNINGS. A LATE MORNING START WOULD WORK FOR THE FOURTH AND FIFTH. ARE YOU THINKING EVENING. YES. EVENING. YEAH. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER. VAGINA ON THE FOURTH WE HAVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE. FIVE. AND IF YOU WANT TO CANCEL IT.

BUT I KNOW WE CANCEL THE LAST ONE. AND SO THAT ONE STARTS AT AT FIVE. WE USUALLY GET OUT WITHIN AN HOUR. YEAH. IT JUST KEEP IT. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THAT'S THAT IS THE ITEM WAS JUST A DIRECTIONAL ITEM. SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 17, THE THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEW OF MUNICIPAL UTILITY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH STRONGHOLD POWER SYSTEMS, INC. IN CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS COMING TO YOU. IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. THIS IS WOULD BE A PEER REVIEW OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND STRONGHOLD ON THE UTILITY DISTRICT. AND TYPICALLY, THESE TYPE OF PEER REVIEWS OFTEN TAKE PLACE. AND SO THIS IS AN ITEM BEFORE YOU FOR DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION. IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE AN INDEPENDENT PEER REVIEW, WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT'LL BE ANOTHER LAW FIRM THAT WOULD ALSO SPECIALIZE IN THESE TYPE OF AGREEMENTS DEALING WITH UTILITIES TO LOOK AT THE, THE, THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE AGREEMENT, AND THEN GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION ANALYSIS OF WHAT ALL ENTAILS, LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU IN TERMS OF RISK, LITIGATION, EXPOSURE, AND SPELL THAT ALL OUT TO YOU AND THEN BRING THAT BACK TO YOU. SO. YEAH, AS LONG AS THE LEGAL REVIEW IS TRULY INDEPENDENT, YOU KNOW, WE GET SUGGESTION FROM. WE'LL BE BACK. SO IT TRULY BECOMES PEER REVIEW AND INDEPENDENT FROM REVIEW. SO AS LONG AS PBC HAS NO DIRECTION IN THE WHOLE PROCESS OF IT.

YEAH, I THINK THE APPROACH WE WOULD TAKE WOULD BE AN INFORMAL BIDDING PROCESS. WE GET SOME DIFFERENT PROPOSALS FROM VARIOUS FIRMS. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN WE WANT TO GO TO B, B AND K TO GET RECOMMENDATIONS, THIS SHOULD BE SET APART FROM THAT. AND THEN WE WE COULD BRING THAT BACK TO YOU IN A STAFF REPORT FOR YOU TO APPROVE THE FIRM TO DO THE PEER REVIEW. IS THERE ANY COMMENTS FOR THIS ITEM. YES, SIR. CORRECT. SO DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL THEM UP NOW? YES, PLEASE. CONSUELO MARQUEZ FOLLOWING CONSUELO WILL BE KATIE ARIAS, TYLER PETERSON AND LORETO PEREZ. OKAY, SO I BELIEVE SO I DON'T SEE. YEAH. SO IF THERE'S NO CONSUELO MARQUEZ, KATIE ARIAS, TYLER PETERSON, WE'LL START WITH LORETTA PEREZ. OKAY, SO I WANT TO ECHO WHAT MAYOR FIGUEROA SAID. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT BB K MUST REMOVE ITSELF FROM THE PEER REVIEW PROCESS. THE REVIEWER MUST REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL OR INTERIM CITY MANAGER, NOT BCC. THE REVIEWER MUST OR THE REVIEW MUST INCLUDE BBFC'S ROLE IN THE RFQ AND

[05:40:08]

THEY STATED THAT REMOVING K COUNCIL WAS, AND I QUOTE DIRECTLY, THE CRITICAL FIRST STEP TO REFORMING ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY AND MAKING IT AN INSTITUTION THE COMMUNITY COULD TRUST. THEY ADDED, AND I QUOTE, IN KEEPING WITH PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY AND OPEN GOVERNMENT, THESE CRITICAL DECISIONS MUST OCCUR IN OPEN SESSION TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY AND REBUILD COMMUNITY TRUST, WHICH BCC DESTROYED. THAT'S QUOTING THEM. THE COALITION LISTED MANY SPECIFIC COMPLAINTS, INCLUDING RATE SETTING, EMPLOYEE HARASSMENT COSTS, OPERATIONAL VENDOR SELECTION FAILURES, GOVERNANCE, ENERGY CONTRACTING, AND TRANSPARENCY.

IT'S CONCERNING TO KNOW THAT BCC IS THE DOMINANT LAW FIRM IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED SERVING FIVE CITIES AND BOTH OUR MAJOR REGIONAL WATER AGENCIES, AND THAT THEY MOVE THIS AGREEMENT FORWARD HERE IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA, THE CITY OF COACHELLA MUST REMOVE BBQ FROM LEGAL COUNSEL, ESPECIALLY IN THE REVIEW, JUST AS WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY. IF YOU ARE EVER TO REBUILD COMMUNITY TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY, OUR DEMANDS, I WILL REPEAT BB K MUST REMOVE ITSELF FROM THE MUD.

A PEER REVIEW PROCESS. THE REVIEWER MUST REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER, NOT BBQ AT ALL. THE FINDINGS MUST ALSO BE SHARED WITH US. THE REVIEW MUST INCLUDE BBQ'S ROLE IN THE RFQ AND PROCUREMENT, THE RFP AND SCORING PROCESS, CONFLICT OF INTEREST ISSUES, GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 1090, LAND OWNERSHIP AND AFFILIATE INTERESTS, SIDE AGREEMENTS AND COMMON INTEREST AGREEMENTS. FINANCIAL, RATEPAYER AND GENERAL FUND RISK NO FURTHER MUDA IMPLEMENTATION UNTIL THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW IS COMPLETE.

ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY SHOWED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PUBLIC ENERGY PROJECTS MOVE FASTER THAN TRANSPARENCY, AS LORETTA SHARED. AND I THINK WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM THIS SITUATION, THE AGREEMENT, AND WE ARE ALL HERE TODAY FROM SOME OF US FROM 430 TO NOW AT 1230 AT NIGHT, AND WE HAVE WORK IN THE MORNING WITH THE COUNCIL PROVIDED BY BB K. SO WE ARE IN THIS SITUATION, GIVEN THE CURRENT LEGAL COUNSEL THAT YOU HAVE, AND I NEED THAT TO SIT WITH YOU AS WELL, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO END UP IN ANOTHER SITUATION LIKE THIS. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE FRANKIE. FOLLOWING THAT, WE HAVE ALLISON GOFFREDO, ALEX SANDOVAL, ADRIANA SUAREZ, JAMES RODRIGUEZ AGAIN, THAT'S ALLISON GOFFREDO, ALEX SANDOVAL, ADRIANA SUAREZ AND JAMES RODRIGUEZ. READY TO GO. YOU'RE READY. I HEAR THAT THIS COUNCIL IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO EXIT THIS CONTRACT. I AM HERE TO HELP WITH THAT BECAUSE THE FIVE QUESTIONS THIS THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEW MUST ANSWER ARE NOT JUST CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONS. THEY ARE YOUR EXIT RAMPS. FIRST, THE BEST BEST KRIEGER LLP HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WHEN THEY NEGOTIATED THIS AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, BBQ PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED PAUL PAVAO AND PROP

[05:45:01]

SECOND, DOES THIS AGREEMENT COMPLY WITH GOVERNMENT CODE? SECTION 1090 WILLIAM PATTINSON WAS NAMED AS URBAN FUTURES INC'S PROJECT MANAGER AT 335 PER HOUR IN A NOVEMBER 2023 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY. HE SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME CITY MANAGER AND RECOMMENDED A NEW URBAN FUTURES CONTRACT. SECTION 1090 PROHIBITS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL FROM PARTICIPATING IN MAKING A CONTRACT IN WHICH. I'M JUST GOING TO STOP. THAT IS YOUR CLEAREST AND MOST POWERFUL EXIT RAMP. THIRD WAS THE CEQA EXEMPTION LEGALLY JUSTIFIED A LEGALLY UNJUSTIFIED CEQA EXEMPTION IS INDEPENDENT GROUNDS TO VOID THIS AGREEMENT.

THAT IS, EXIT RAMP NUMBER THREE. FOURTH, WHERE ALL FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, FREE OF DISQUALIFYING CONFLICTS. ON FEBRUARY 11TH, 2026, A DISQUALIFIED VOTE ON FEBRUARY 11TH MAKES THE APPROVAL ITSELF LEGALLY VULNERABLE. THAT IS EXIT RAMP NUMBER FOUR. FIFTH AND I WILL I, I THINK I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I HOPE YOU DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONALLY, BUT. THE THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEW MUST EXAMINE WHETHER COUNCIL MEMBER VIDCON'S DUAL ROLE AS A COACHELLA COUNCIL MEMBER AND REPRESENTATIVE OF SUPERVISOR VICTOR MANUEL PEREZ OFFICE, THE SAME SUPERVISOR WHO RECEIVED DOCUMENTED CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM STRONGHOLDS BEVERLY BAILEY AND ROAD STRONGHOLD. A PERSONAL LETTER OF SUPPORT CONSTITUTED A DISQUALIFYING CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON FEBRUARY 11TH, IF COUNCIL MEMBER WAS DISQUALIFIED FROM VOTING. THE MOTION ITSELF IS TAINTED. THIS IS EXIT RAMP NUMBER FIVE. SO THIS COUNCIL IS LOOKING FOR WAYS OUT. THE THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEWER HAS JUST BEEN HANDED FIVE OF THEM. I AM ASKING YOU TO FORMALLY CONFIRM TONIGHT THAT ALL FIVE ARE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THAT REVIEW.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT I FOUND ABOUT. I'M JUST GONNA PUT IT ON PUBLIC RECORD. FINALLY, BBQ IS DOING BUSINESS WITH STRONGHOLD AND PROP CORP INC PROP PORT INC. IT HAS LIKE IS DOING BUSINESS WITH BLACKHAWK THREE, ONE AND TWO. THEY'RE REGISTERED AGENTS ARE FOR THOSE COMPANIES ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION RIGHT NOW BY THE SEC. AND THAT'S THE POSSE THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW. NEXT WE HAVE JAMES RODRIGUEZ FOLLOWING. JAMES RODRIGUEZ IS ASHBY CRYSTAL ORTWERTH AMERICA NORIEGA. MIREYA GONZALEZ. ALRIGHTY. GOOD MORNING AGAIN.

COUNCIL. I AM HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WAS PUT ON THE AGENDA. IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THE SUPPORT OR THE VOTE FOR AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE, YOU WERE POSSIBLY GOING TO REVIEW AND SEE WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF THIS DEAL. I THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED MULTIPLE TIMES, NOT ONLY FROM STRONGHOLD THEMSELVES. OUR OWN ATTORNEY. IF THE CITY IS NOT SATISFIED, I BELIEVE WHAT THAT WAS THE WORD. IF WE'RE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE PROPOSALS, THE PROCEDURES, THE WHATEVER IT MAY BE, I BELIEVE THAT'S DISCRETIONARY. YOU GUYS HAVE A DISCRETION THERE TO GET TO SAY, I'M NOT SATISFIED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD LEGALLY LOOK LIKE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONTRACT ACTUALLY SAYS. BUT IN TERMS OF THE COUNCIL NEEDING TO BE SATISFIED TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT'S ALREADY A WONDERFUL EXIT RAMP, AS SOME OF OUR OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEW SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IS THOSE EXIT RAMPS.

SINCE THAT IS NOW WHAT WE HAVE DECIDED WE WANT TO DO AND THIS AGREEMENT, BUT ALSO, AS EVERYBODY HAS STATED HERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A CAVEAT THAT IT IS NOT JUST A CONTRACT REVIEW. IT IS THE PROCESS, AS EVERYBODY HAS STATED, WHO INITIATED THE PROCESS. WE HAVE ALL ASKED FOR PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS FOR STRONGHOLD TEXT MESSAGES, EMAILS BETWEEN THE CITY, THE CITY MANAGERS, THE COUNCIL THEMSELVES, THE OLD MAYOR. I MYSELF HAD MY PRA CLOSED WITHOUT ANY OF THAT BEING GIVEN TO ME. SO EITHER IT WAS NOT ACTUALLY PUBLIC RECORD, IT WAS A DRAFT ITEM, OR IT WAS CONSIDERED SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT ACTUALLY A PUBLIC

[05:50:06]

[05:55:03]

I'M GOING TO REPEAT A FEW OF THE NAMES, MIREYA GONZALEZ, EUNICE MEDINA, TAMMY WEINER, OLIVIA RODRIGUEZ. NO ONE IS HERE. OKAY. THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT I HAVE FOR THIS ITEM. IS THERE ANYONE ON ZOOM? IS ANYBODY ON ZOOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 17? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THERE ARE NONE. OKAY WITH THAT. ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM, COUNCILMEMBER? I THINK I'LL START OFF WITH JUST KIND OF ECHOING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS SHARING WITH REGARDS TO THIS. I THINK THE INTENT BEHIND ADDING THIS TO THE AGENDA WAS IF MAYBE WE DIDN'T REALLY GET ANYWHERE WH ITEM NUMBER 18, WHICH WE DID, WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE NOW ASKED FOR TO INITIATE A BAN. WE'VE ASKED TO BRING US OPTIONS TO GET OUT OF THE AGREEMENT. I REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DO WITH ITEM 17, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE WANT THESE THINGS FOR ITEM 18, WHICH IS GETTING OUT OF THE AGREEMENT, THE BAN AND EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS IN THAT PROCESS. SO. I'M NOT SURE WHAT LOOKING INTO THE AGREEMENT OTHER THAN I GUESS IT MAYBE FOR TRANSPARENCY, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SOMEBODY TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND THAT WAY WE CAN SHARE AND SAY THESE WERE THE FINDINGS.

BUT AS FAR AS ON MY END, I'M NOT GOING TO CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT WHAT I WANT TO DO, WHICH IS MAKING SURE THAT WE GET OUT OF THE AGREEMENT. WE DO A BAN, WE HAVE THE MORATORIUM, ALL OF THAT. SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND HAVE A THIRD PARTY LEGAL REVIEW. THAT'S FINE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND. CONTINUE TO DO IT SO YOU CAN GET LEGAL SUPPORT. ON GETTING OUT. COUNCILWOMAN PRAISE. I THINK WE'VE ALL DECIDED ON THIS DIOCESE WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH WITH ITEM 18. IT'S IT'S CLEAR THAT WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT HAVING A THIRD PARTY REVIEW, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO TELL US THE OPTIONS OF HOW TO GET OUT OF IT? WOULD IT BE MORE TRANSPARENT? WOULD BE CLEAR. THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. I THINK THAT IF WE WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT, SHOWING THEM ANOTHER REVIEW AND SHOWING THEM IN, COMPARING IT TO THE OTHER.

SO AS FAR AS THE THE OUTCOME, LIKE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SHARED. THE FINDINGS ON IT ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION AND INSTRUCTIONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN TO LEGAL COUNSEL. IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN THAT THERE ARE SOME PROS TO IT.

YOU KNOW, LIKE COUNCILMEMBER PEREZ HAS SHARED. BUT THEN ALSO, AS I, I JUST WANT TO SHARE ALSO IS, IS WHAT IT WHAT THIS IS GOING TO TAKE AND HOW MUCH MONEY IT'S GOING TO, TO TAKE.

AND SO, AND SO IT'LL BE 15, 20. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO DO THE TIMELINE TOO. SO I WANT TO DO A COMPARISON REALLY QUICKLY. SO WE DO WHAT WE DO IN RFP. WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL MAYBE 45 DAYS. IT'S A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A FORMAL RFP.

[06:00:02]

I MEAN, THEY COULD BE VERY COMPETITIVE IN TERMS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AND SPECIALTY, BUT THE FACTOR THAT MAY BE DECIDING WOULD BE HOW QUICKLY THEY CAN TURN AROUND TO GIVE YOU THAT ANALYSIS. SO I COULDN'T REALLY TELL YOU UNTIL WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOME OF THOSE LAW FIRMS. AND THEN ARE WE LOOKING AT MAYBE THIS AN ESTIMATE, MAYBE THREE MONTHS? I WOULD THINK IT'S LESS THAN THAT. YEAH, YEAH. IT'S SIMPLY REVIEWING THE AGREEMENT AND LOOKING SPECIFICALLY MORE SO. AND I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HERE THAT BECAUSE IT COULD INITIATE LITIGATION. AND SO THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION, NOT BECAUSE IT WOULD INITIATE LITIGATION WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU AS A CLOSED SESSION ITEM. AND SO THEY WOULD PROBABLY, I'M THINKING 30 DAYS FOR THEM TO DO A REVIEW, A THOROUGH 30 TO 45 DAYS FOR THEM TO DO A REVIEW ON LITIGATION FROM STRONGHOLDS. YES. AND SO THIS IS WHERE WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT AND, AND I, I SUPPORT THE, IF THAT'S WHERE MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO DO AND DO A THIRD PARTY, THEN I'LL SUPPORT IT. BUT I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT A BIT ABOUT IT. IS THAT SO MAYBE TWO MONTHS. I JUST SAY TWO MONTHS WITHIN TWO MONTHS, TWO, TWO AND A HALF MONTHS, TWO MONTHS. BUT THEN THERE'S AN AGREEMENT ALREADY WITH STRONGHOLD, WHICH IS ALREADY BEING LITIGATED, BECAUSE THE MOMENT THAT WE SAID WE WERE DOING A BAN THAT TOOK AWAY THEIR FUNDING MECHANISM, SO THEY HAVE NO FUNDING BASICALLY TO DO THEIR MUNICIPAL UTILITY. SO THAT'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, REMOVED. SO THERE'S THERE'S THAT. AND THEN I'LL. SO NOW IT'S POTENTIALLY WHERE WE'RE DOING LITIGATION ON THE CURRENT AGREEMENT, AND THEN ALSO LITIGATION ON THE ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE NOW DOING A THIRD PARTY OR SECOND PARTY REVIEW ON IT. WELL, THE THIRD PARTY REVIEW WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE SAME, THE SAME SAME RISK FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH ANY LITIGATION BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME AGREEMENT. SO IF IT'S LOOKED AT IN THE SAME LINE FOR LITIGATION, THEN DO YOU SEE THE BENEFITS OF THAT SECOND PARTY LAW FIRM IS GOING TO BE LITIGATED AS WELL? I THINK SO, BECAUSE AS A COUNCIL, YOU YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT WHAT THE RISK FACTOR IS INVOLVED WITH LITIGATION, WHAT WHAT DAMAGES OF ANY STRONGHOLD WOULD BE SUBJECT TO AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE SOME WORK ALREADY. RIGHT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'VE PURCHASED LAND, THEY'VE STARTED EIR. SO THERE'D BE A DETERMINATION OF WHAT THAT BREACH OF CONTRACT WOULD CAUSE IN TERMS OF DAMAGES TO STRONGHOLD, RIGHT? SO A LAW FIRM WOULD BE ABLE TO OUTLINE WHAT THOSE RISKS ARE TO THE CITY GOING TO LITIGATION, HERE'S WHAT YOU STAND TO LOSE, ETCETERA, ETCETERA. RIGHT. AND THEN THAT THAT WAY YOU'RE MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION. EVEN IF YOU DECIDE TO STILL TERMINATE, YOU'VE NOW MADE AN INFORMED DECISION OF WHAT THAT RISK FACTOR IS. SO WOULD THEY BE LOOKING AT THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND THEN THE REPERCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW THEN TO LITIGATE AT THAT POINT? YEAH, BASICALLY, HERE'S YOUR HERE'S HOW HERE'S THE TERMINATION CLAUSES WITHIN THE EXISTING AGREEMENT, RIGHT. AND THEN ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IS HERE'S DAMAGES COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND THEN THEY WOULD. THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IT WOULD BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION BECAUSE IT WOULD BE ANTICIPATED LITIGATION. RIGHT. BUT THEY WOULD BE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ANYTHING YOU DO. AND YOU'RE GOING TO END UP IN LITIGATION. WHAT IS THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AND THEN THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ALREADY HAS EXITS ON THERE. SO WOULD THEY JUST BEEN REVIEWING THOSE EXITS AND THE YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO TO CORRECT. RIGHT. CORRECT. AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT BECAUSE THERE ARE TERMINATION CLAUSE. RIGHT. AND IF YOU TERMINATE EARLY LIKE IT SAYS, ANY ANY MONIES THEY'VE INCURRED, THE CITY HAS TO PAY. SO THEY'D BE DOING AN ANALYSIS

[06:05:04]

YEAH. THAT SPECIALIZES IN THE UTILITIES THAT HAS LITIGATED. RIGHT. BUT THEN THAT'S A COUNCIL DECISION ON HOW, WHO AND WHAT LAW FIRM YOU MAY WANT TO REPRESENT THE CITY IN THAT LEGAL MATTER. OH, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ASKED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OR FOR THE OPTIONS TO BE BROUGHT BACK ABOUT HOW TO REMOVE OURSELVES FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. IT'S ONE OF THE SAME THING, RIGHT? YEAH. SO WE WOULD JUST BE HAVING ANOTHER LAW FIRM DO THAT, BASICALLY. CORRECT. AND SO AND THEN JUST AGAIN, IS THAT WHEN WE I MEAN, I'LL SUPPORT THE, THE SECOND LAW FIRM, BUT WHEN, WHEN WE SAID NO TO, TO THE DATA CENTERS, THAT DOES TAKE AWAY THE FUNDING MECHANISM BASICALLY FOR THAT MUNICIPAL UTILITY. AND THEN ALSO IS THAT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THOSE OUTS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE OPTIONS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS ADDITIONALLY, AT THE 12, THE 12 MONTHS IS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS. AND WE'RE ALREADY SO MANY MONTHS IN. SO IT COULD BE ALSO THAT BY THE TIME THAT THEY REVIEW THAT WE WOULD ALREADY BE ON THE FIRST OUT FOR THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. CORRECT. THERE'S ALSO THAT IT'S THE AGREEMENT MENTIONS DATA CENTERS, RIGHT.

BUT ALTERNATIVELY, STRONGHOLD CAN GO BACK AND RECONSIDER WHAT TYPE OF PROJECT THAT'S NOT A DATA CENTER AND THAT THEY MIGHT STILL. I'M NOT I'M I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR THAT. LET ME BE CLEAR. I'M EXPLAINING WHAT THE AGREEMENT STIPULATES, RIGHT? THAT THAT STRONGHOLD IN THE AGREEMENT, RIGHT. CAN DO SOME TYPE OF PROJECT, RIGHT? SO THEY CAN ALWAYS COME BACK WITH OPTIONS. THAT'S AN ALTERNATIVE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE AGREEMENTS WRITTEN THAT WAY, RIGHT? OR YOU CAN JUST SIMPLY SAY, LET'S TERMINATE EVERYTHING, RIGHT? THAT'S WHY THE, THE HAVING THAT SECOND REVIEW GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT HAS THAT LANGUAGE. IT'S GOING TO IT'S GOING TO EVALUATE RISK ASSOCIATED WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE. BUT ULTIMATELY YOU'RE LOOKING TO TERMINATE. THEY'RE GOING TO DO THE ANALYSIS OF THE RISK ANALYSIS ASSOCIATED WITH TERMINATING SAID AGREEMENT. WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE RISK TO THE CITY MONETARY. IF YOU DECIDE TO BREACH AND GO INTO LITIGATION, HOW LONG DOES THE. THE. DOES THIS TYPE OF LAWSUIT GO THROUGH THE COURT? BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOLVED IN A MATTER OF MONTHS. THIS TYPE OF LITIGATION IS GOING TO BE YEARS BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GET INTO COURT. RIGHT? WE'RE CHANGING LAW FIRMS. BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. CORRECT. SO THERE IS A I AGREE WITH THE DOING THE THIRD PARTY REVIEW AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT WE ADDRESS RIGHT, THE WHOLE PROCESS OF IT, RIGHT. WHEN THEY LOOK AT IT AND, AND JUST MAKING SURE WHAT THOSE OFF RAMPS MIGHT BE AND REALLY LOOKING AT. JUST THE WHOLE CONCEPT, ESPECIALLY THE COMMENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TEN 90S AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT DOES THAT ENCOMPASS, RIGHT? THAT AGREEMENT AND WHAT ARE THOSE ITEMS? AND IT HAS TO COME BACK TO CLOSED SESSION, OF COURSE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE GOT ABOUT A TWO MONTH, IT'S GOING TO RUN CONCURRENT, RIGHT? AS COUNCILMEMBER DELGADO MENTIONED, THE WORDS WE SAID TODAY ABOUT BIG PINK AND BLUE LETTERS, NO DATA CENTERS INITIATES A LOT OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. RIGHT. AND SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE. I'M SORRY, CAN I JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT? SO IN REGARDS TO TRANSPARENCY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HEARING A GREAT DEAL ABOUT IS THE COMMUNITY. AND MANY OF YOU HERE, ALL OF YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT. THERE WAS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. AND SO IF THAT IF THAT LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, IF BRINGING A SECOND LAW FIRM IS GOING TO

[06:10:02]

OKAY. OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. SO THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND, A SECOND, I'LL TAKE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER. PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. DELGADO. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER I MAYOR VIERA I. WITH THAT WILL MOVE ON TO. WE WILL BRING 19 BACK NEXT COUNCIL. YEAH. CAN WE. YEAH. CAN WE BRING BACK ITEM 19 TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING? VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK WE GOT WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE POSSIBLE TABLE ITEM 19 AS WELL AS TO DO THE REST. YEAH. BECAUSE EVEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TWO IS PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW THAT THE APPLICANT HERE, MAYOR COUNCIL, YOU'RE CORRECT. THE APPLICANT LEFT. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK TO POSTPONE THAT TO THE JUNE. SO WITH THAT, I THINK THE ONLY ITEM MAYBE THAT WE CAN TAKE BRIEFLY IS THE ITEM 21. KENDRA, DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT ONE BEFORE WE. SO WE'RE GOING TO TABLE IT TO THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, ITEM NUMBER 19, 20 AND 22. SO REALLY QUICK COUNCIL. AT THE LAST MEETING, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION FROM THE YOUTH ON ANTI SMOKING ORDINANCE. STAFF HAD ALREADY DONE SOME RESEARCH ON ON SAID ORDINANCE. AND SO THIS WAS QUICKLY PREPARED. THIS IS BEFORE YOU AS A DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION, BECAUSE WE WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU WHAT IT WOULD COVER. AND THEN ONCE YOU GIVE DIRECTION AND YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THAT, THEN WE WILL REACH OUT TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION AND TO THE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS THAT CAME OUT AND PRESENTED TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT WHAT IT'S GOING TO ENTAIL.

BUT WE FIRST WANTED TO GET DIRECTION AND INPUT FROM YOU BEFORE WE WENT OUT PUBLICLY WITH THESE YOUTH GROUPS. SO THANK YOU. SO THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND REDUCE EXPOSURE TO SECOND HAND SMOKE. ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH SMOKING RELATED WASTE, ESTABLISH SMOKE FREE REGULATIONS AND PUBLIC AREAS IN MULTI-UNIT RESIDENCES. PROVIDE CLEAR STANDARDS FOR ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE, AND PROVIDE LOCAL REGULATIONS THAT SUPPLEMENT EXISTING STATE LAW. SO CALIFORNIA ALREADY PROHIBITS SMOKING IN MANY INDOOR WORKPLACES AND PUBLIC SPACES. LOCAL AGENCIES MAY ADOPT STRICTER SMOKING REGULATIONS PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, SECTION 104495.

THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE EXPANDS PROTECTIONS TO PUBLIC OUTDOOR AREAS, MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND SERVICE AREAS, AND EVENT SPACES. SO ANY PROPOSED REGULATIONS WOULD PROHIBIT SMOKING IN DESIGNATED PUBLIC PLACES, RECREATIONAL AREAS AND SERVICE AREAS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT SMOKING DURING CITY PERMITTED SPECIAL EVENTS. IT WOULD ESTABLISH A 25 FOOT SMOKE FREE BUFFER NEAR ENTRANCES, EXITS, WINDOWS AND AIR INTAKES. IT WOULD PROHIBIT SMOKING IN MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL COMMON AREAS AND DWELLING UNITS. IT WOULD REQUIRE SIGNAGE AND COMPLIANCE MEASURES BY PROPERTY OWNERS AND OPERATORS FOR ADDITIONAL MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS. SMOKING BE PROHIBITED WITHIN UNITS OF MULTI-USE MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. SMOKING WOULD BE PROHIBITED IN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR COMMON AREAS AND APPLIES TO APARTMENTS, CONDOMINIUMS, TOWNHOMES AND SENIOR HOUSING FACILITIES. NEW IT'S CURRENTLY PROPOSED THAT NEW LEASES ENTERED INTO AFTER JANUARY 1ST, 2027 MUST INCLUDE SMOKE FREE PROVISIONS, AND IT'S INTENDED TO REDUCE SECONDHAND SMOKE IMPACTS BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL UNITS. PROPOSED EXEMPTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT SO EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTAIN PRIVATE EVENTS AND CEREMONIAL INDIGENOUS USES WOULD APPLY.

ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE CONDUCTED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AND AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL VIOLATIONS WILL BE TREATED AS INFRACTIONS PURSUANT TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE, AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES MAY BE PROVIDED PRIOR TO ENFORCEMENT. NEXT STEPS WOULD BE REQUEST AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU GUYS AND THEN REQUEST AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON

[06:15:02]

SO WE'RE GOING TO POST THAT AS PART OF THE AGENDA THEN. AND THEN WE WILL BRING IT BACK AGAIN AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING AS WELL. OKAY. THAT WORKS THEN. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE ITEMS. 19, 20 AND 22, A MOTION TO TABLE THOSE TO THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, JUST FOR THE RECORD. RYAN. YEAH, MY TABLE WILL CONTINUE. ALL ITEMS, INCLUDING THE PUBLIC HEARING ITEM, TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. OKAY. YEAH, WE CAN IF WE HAVE COUNCIL CONSENSUS ON THAT, WE CAN DO A MOTION IF WE WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR. YEAH. WE'LL DO A MOTION TO SECOND. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. SO MOTION FROM MAYOR FIGUEROA AND SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAN TAKE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER. PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER.

DELGADO. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. HI. MAYOR. FIGUEROA. HI. OKAY. WITH THAT, WE WILL. THE REPORTS

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