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Residents press Imperial City Council to hold data center developer to CEQA and deny a water deal
Summary
Residents urged the Imperial City Council to continue its lawsuit and oppose a proposed data center, citing CEQA requirements, a county air district letter that labeled the project discretionary, a 4,000-signature petition and conflicting public statements about a water agreement; the city attorney said no settlement or water agreement exists at this time.
The Imperial City Council heard multiple residents urge continued legal resistance to a proposed data center and to ensure the project undergoes California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.
Belen Donato told the council she supported the city’s litigation and asked residents to remain engaged, saying, “This lawsuit is not merely a legal battle. It represents our collective commitment to protecting our community, our environment, and our future.”
Francisco Lien said he and others have collected more than 4,000 signatures on a petition opposing the project and pushed the city to publicly refute developer statements that a water agreement already exists. He told the council the project is a “massive industrial facility of 1,000,000 square foot” with generators and a battery energy storage system near homes and said residents fear the developer is trying to avoid CEQA review.
City Attorney Katie Turner told the meeting the city will continue to post updates on its website and confirmed there is active CEQA litigation in state court with a hearing coming up. “There is no settlement at this time,” she said, adding “there is no water agreement either. You will see it in front of this council if there will be one,” and that any agreement would be put in writing for the public record.
Robert Powell said he had seen a letter from the county air pollution control district, dated before Aug. 15, stating the county initially determined the project was discretionary and therefore subject to CEQA; Powell said there should be no settlement unless an environmental impact report (EIR) is completed. Powell told the council: “One of the main evaluators of impact for this project determined that this is discretionary and subject to CEQA.”
Other residents, including longtime local Laird Stiegler, said many neighbors remain unaware of the developer’s plans and urged Imperial Irrigation District (IID) to take a public position against the project and help outreach. Stiegler offered to distribute materials door-to-door to increase community awareness.
The council did not take new legislative action during public comment. Turner reiterated the city’s commitment to public updates and said mandatory CEQA settlement discussions can occur as part of the CEQA process but cautioned that any settlement would involve public participation and council review.
Next steps: city staff said court hearings are public and the city will continue to provide updates online; residents were encouraged to submit comments through the county portal and monitor the city website for additional information.
