Several members of the public used the board's Jan. 7 public comment period to congratulate newly elected supervisors and to press the board on conservation and community-safety issues.

Fernando Marquez Duarte, a professor at the California Indian Nations College and co-founder of the Decolonial Process Collective, asked the board to support designation of a Quechan National Monument. He said the designation would protect ancestral lands, provide environmental justice protections and signal local political backing for a federal designation. He noted recent monument designations elsewhere in California and urged the county to publicly support the Quechan proposal.

Other speakers congratulated the board's leadership and recommended local projects. Sky Ainsworth raised concerns about the conduct and online postings of a local commenter and asked the board questions about who was being allowed into private chambers during ceremonies.

Speakers representing industry and community partners, including a representative for a lithium project and BHE Renewables, congratulated the board and expressed hope for continued collaboration.

No board action was taken in response to the public comments during the meeting; staff and supervisors acknowledged the remarks and referred some matters to staff follow-up where appropriate.