Imperial County, CA – On March 16, 2026, the County of Imperial announced a town hall scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to discuss the proposed Imperial Data Center Project. Following that announcement, the County received community feedback requesting the participation of the Board of Supervisors in a public discussion of the Project. The County has heard this feedback and understands that many residents would like the Supervisors to be present as part of a community conversation about the proposed Imperial Data Center Project (Project).
There have also been questions regarding why Supervisors were not initially able to participate in the town hall. Under California’s Brown Act, a majority of Supervisors may not participate in the same event where issues within their future decision-making authority are discussed outside of a properly noticed Board meeting, as doing so could be interpreted as an unlawful or “serial” meeting.
Because this Project is an active application that may come before the Board, participation in the town hall could compromise both compliance with the Brown Act and the Board’s ability to remain impartial. For that reason, Supervisors could not participate in the originally planned town hall format.
In response to community feedback, the County will change the event from a town hall to an informational item on the Board of Supervisors agenda. To accommodate community participation outside normal working hours, this will be held as a Special Board Meeting on Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 p.m.
While this item will be presented at a properly noticed Special Board Meeting, the Board will not be taking any action on the Project at that time. Because this is an active application that may come before the Board for future consideration, Supervisors must remain impartial and cannot express positions on the Project.
The County believes this approach best accommodates community requests for Board participation while ensuring full transparency and compliance with state law.
The meeting format will remain focused on information sharing and public engagement. The Project applicant will provide a presentation on the proposed Project, followed by an opportunity for public comment. Questions related to the specifics of the Project will be addressed by the applicant, while County staff from relevant departments will be available to respond to questions regarding County processes.
The purpose of this informational presentation on the Project is to provide information, address questions, and receive public input, not to deliberate or make a decision. During the meeting:
Supervisors may:
- Listen to the presentation
- Ask clarifying, procedural, or informational questions
Supervisors may not:
- Express support or opposition
- Weigh in on the merits of the project
- Indicate how they might vote
- Engage in advocacy or back-and-forth debate with speakers
To be clear, while the Board must remain impartial at this stage, it will not remain neutral indefinitely. As specific components of the Project, such as related land use actions, come before the Board at future properly noticed meeting(s) or hearing(s), the Board will take action on those items based on the information presented at that time.
The County appreciates the community’s continued engagement and looks forward to a productive and informative discussion on the proposed Project on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 6p.m. in the County Board of Supervisors Chamber, located at 904 W Main Street, El Centro, CA 92243.
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