Imperial County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Imperial County, California public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Data center controversy
Residents are upset the county seems to be coordinating with the developer of a proposed hyperscale AI data center in Imperial before public review, and that a county-hosted town hall looked like a sales pitch. The Board responded by converting the town hall into a special evening informational meeting on March 26 where the public can comment but supervisors can't take positions.
state housing law lawsuit against Calexico
California is suing Calexico for allegedly failing to follow state housing law, and the case is now drawing attention to Imperial County too. It’s a local-control vs. state-housing-mandate fight, so it could affect how housing rules get enforced across the region.
New county permitting software
The Planning Department launches a new online permitting system June 15 — residents will be able to apply, pay, track permits, and schedule inspections online instead of driving to El Centro.