Imperial County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Imperial County, California public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Hudson Ranch Power assessment appeal procedure
The Board of Equalization won't let Hudson Ranch's New York-based corporate witness testify by video at the Nov. 9 appeal — the witness must appear in person so the county can cross-examine him live.
SMARA mining oversight and abandoned Picacho mine
The county has 30+ mine sites; consultants track reclamation bonds and inspections. The abandoned Picacho gold mine is entering a bond forfeiture process with roughly $85,000 available for partial cleanup.
Border Traffic and Healthcare
Calexico leaders didn’t tackle the brutal border traffic at their latest meeting, even though it’s a daily headache for commuters and cross-border workers. Meanwhile, a major ECRMC healthcare acquisition is moving ahead to improve local medical access. So healthcare is getting attention, but the border gridlock still isn’t.
Employee health premiums for Plan Year 2027
Healthcare costs jumped over 12%, but the county is picking up the entire $6.1 million increase, so employees and retirees pay the same premiums next year.
Closed session litigation and property negotiations
The board met behind closed doors on one matter with significant exposure to litigation and labor negotiations covering fourteen county bargaining units. Direction was given to staff, but no final action was announced.
Bowker Road shoulder safety fix
A $797,897 contract will rehab about a mile of Bowker Road between Jasper and Fawcett roads — part of the county's ongoing push to fix its road network.
450 W. Aten Road warehouse lease
The only qualifying bid to lease the county's 65,000-square-foot warehouse was $1,000 a month — about 1.5 cents per square foot. Supervisors rejected it as far below market and will re-solicit bids.