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Council approves transfer of 1976 time capsule to Imperial Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce
Summary
Council approved transfer and repair of a historical time capsule removed from the old chamber building; the chamber plans a community event and said it will add a letter to document the move. Staff estimated repair and reinstallation costs at about $9,800; council approved the transfer 5‑0.
The El Centro City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a request from the Imperial Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce to relocate a 1976 time capsule from city custody to the chamber’s current site at 1095 S. Fourth St. The chamber plans a public ceremony and will add a letter explaining the transfer for future readers.
City staff said the capsule was originally placed in 1976 at the former El Centro Chamber of Commerce building (the site of the new police headquarters) and was removed in February 2024 to accommodate construction. The capsule contains 64 historical items and was intended to be opened in the nation’s tricentennial year; the chamber said it will be opened about one month before the nation’s tricentennial in 2076 and will add a new letter documenting the relocation.
The city’s public‑works staff recommended repair and reinstallation at the chamber site; staff estimated repairs and reinstallation at roughly $9,800. Chamber president and CEO Sherry Kawhi told the council the chamber intends to hold a community event in August or September and invited original participants and students to attend. Julie Popejoy, who said she was a student who helped place the capsule in the 1970s, offered brief recollections to the council.
Council approved the transfer and repair work by a 5‑0 vote. Staff said the capsule will be preserved, repaired to match original appearance and reinstalled at the chamber site with a relocated plaque and the chamber’s new explanatory letter.
Votes at a glance: Motion to approve transfer, repair and reinstallation of the 1976 El Centro time capsule to the Imperial Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce site — Passed 5‑0.
