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Mission Statement
The mission of the City of Monterey Park is to provide excellent service, foster growth and opportunity, and create a joyous and collaborative environment.
Minutes
Monterey Park City Council
Financing Authority (MPFA)
Housing Authority (MPHA)
Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD)
Successor Agency (SA)
Special Meeting
January 21, 2026
The City Council, the Financing Authority (MPFA), the Housing Authority (MPHA), the Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD), and the Successor Agency (SA) of the City of Monterey Park held a Special Meeting of the Council in the Council Chamber, located at 320 West Newmark Avenue in the City of Monterey Park, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
The meeting was held concurrently with the January 21, 2026 Regular City Council meeting.
1. Call to Order
Mayor Yang called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m.
2. Roll Call
City Clerk Maychelle Yee called the roll:
Council Members Present: Henry Lo, Vinh Ngo, Jose Sanchez, Thomas Wong, Elizabeth Yang
Council Members Absent: None
Also Present:
City Treasurer Amy Lee
City Manager Inez Alvarez
City Attorney Karl Berger
Assistant City Manager Diana Garcia
Director of Finance Martha Garcia
Director of Human Resources and Risk Management Christine Tomikawa Director of Recreation and Community Services Robert Aguirre Director of Community Development Timothy Hou
City Librarian Kristin Olivarez
Director of Public Works Shawn Igoe
Police Chief Scott Wiese
Fire Chief Jason Hing
Principal Management Analyst Rebecca Bojorquez
Recreation and Community Services Leader Deanna Ramirez Zhu Deputy City Clerk Cindy Trang
Assistant Deputy City Clerk Helena Cho
Office Assistant Michelle Martinez
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Virtually Present: None.
3. Telecommunications Announcement, if requested
None.
4. Public Communications
Public Communications was heard after Special Meeting Agenda Item No. 5.A.
• Jorg Correga submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Thomas Fernandez submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called
• Felicia Sandoval submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
5. New Business
5.A. Consideration and possible action to adopt an urgency ordinance implementing interim development regulations for data centers within Saturn Park upon a four-fifths vote
This Agenda Item was heard after Regular Meeting Agenda Item No. 9.A. and was amended to reflect the new author of the item.
On November 6, 2024, the City Council adopted new zoning regulations for Saturn Park based upon recommendations from the Saturn Park Advisory Review Committee (SPARC). The draft ordinance proposed to the City Council at that time included regulations for design and studies governing data centers. Following City Council consideration of those draft regulations, however, the Council ultimately decided that requiring a development agreement for all data centers would ensure comprehensive City oversight of such projects.
Since then, it is apparent that the City Council may wish to reconsider regulations governing data centers. While the City Council generally considered all issues identified by recent public communications in 2024, it is apparent that it is in the public interest to revisit those issues.
To give the City Manager and City Attorney additional time to craft refined regulations that the City Council may wish to reconsider, I request that the City Council adopt interim regulations and a moratorium on processing land use applications for any data center within Saturn Park. If adopted, the draft urgency ordinance included with this report would prohibit the City from processing any pending applications for a data center and prevent acceptance 74-9
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of any new applications. Additionally, it would require the City Manager, or designee, to prepare a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for any pending application once the City Council considers and, hopefully, adopts new land use regulations for dat
a centers. This initial moratorium would last at
least 45 days but may be extended up to a total of two years.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):
Adopting the draft Urgency Ordinance is exempt from further environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., "CEQA") and CEQA Guidelines (14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.) because it establishes temporary rules and procedures for minor alterations in land use. The Urgency Ordinance, therefore, is categorically exempt from further CEQA review under CEQA Guidelines § 15305. F
urther, the adoption of the Urgency
Ordinance is also exempt from review under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines § 15061(b)(3) because the Ordinance is for general policies and procedure-making. This Ordinance does not authorize any new development entitlem
ents. Any proposed project that will utilize the changes set forth in this Ordinance is subject to environmental review as part of the entitlement review of the project. The Ordinance will not adversely impact the environment and is therefore exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the City Council consider:
1. Adopting an Urgency Ordinance upon 4/5 vote pursuant to Government Code § 65858 establishing a moratorium on new data centers within Saturn Park for 45 days; and
2. Taking such additional, related action that may be desirable.
Public Speakers:
Mayor Yang announced the speakers in groups of five.
• Laziza Lambert, Community Engagement Representative for the applicant of the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project, reiterated their goal to communicate with the residents to develop a data center with the community's needs in mind.
• Angelica Salazar spoke about her frequent visits to Monterey Park as a neighboring resident and commented on the potential harmful environmental effects a data center can bring to the community if it is built.
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• Anna Yeh, resident, expressed her strong opposition to the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project.
• Oscar Uribe, resident, reiterated the audience's disdain for the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project and proposed a permanent ban on all data centers in the City.
• Luka Uribe voiced their opposition to data centers in the City, as they believed its concept and origin was through systematic racism.
• Cindy Alvarado, resident, emphasized her opposition to data centers in the City and provided her opinion on the negative effects of data centers.
• Christina Cisneros submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Randy and Jalina, residents, spoke together. Jalina talked about the young advocates in Monterey Park. Randy explained his experience working in a data center, claiming it is isolating, does create economic fluidity and is not representative of the needs of the community.
• Jen, resident, reminded the community's opportunity to reelect the City Council during the 2026 election season.
• Ronan Rock provided a written correspondence to the City Clerk and the City Council to be filed in the record. He elaborated on his opposition to the idea of data centers in Monterey Park and emphasized the potential negative effects it brings to the community.
• Charles Stapleton voiced the necessity of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and emphasized the community's daily use of data centers.
• Mike Rudholm shared his appreciation of the proposed moratorium and the need for an EIR to allow the applicant the opportunity to state their case.
• Scarlett commented on her opposition to a data center in Monterey Park and requested an EIR for a more detailed analysis.
• Yun, resident, stated his opposition to the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project and expressed his disappointment at the lack of information provided to the community regarding the proposed project.
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• Jeremy, resident and member of the Amazon Teamsters Union, communicated his opposition to the proposed 1977 Data Center project.
• Caleb, resident, vocalized his opposition to the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project. He requested the EIR to be done ethically as the data center development may lead to potential health risks to the community.
• Teresa, resident, spoke about the City Council's alleged miscommunication to the public and explained the potential long-term physical effects of data centers on the residents.
• Samuel Taylor, resident, advocated against the development of any data center in Monterey Park and elaborated on his wish to protect the community.
• Carrie L. provided a written correspondence to the City Clerk and the City Council to be filed in the record. She relayed her concerns about the negative environmental effects caused by data centers. She requested a different company, one chosen by the residents to develop
the EIR and provided amended recommendations to the proposed Urgency Ordinance.
• Debra Shibuyama Simone advocated her love for Monterey Park and expressed her disdain towards data centers. She questioned the City Council's intentions and their legacy once their terms end.
• Miranda Sharp commented on the potential health effects data centers cause for the communities.
• Joan Tu elaborated her opposition to the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project and talked about her experience growing up in Monterey Park.
• Christian Duran, resident, vocalized his opposition to data centers in Monterey Park.
• Emily Chu, resident, expressed her disapproval of data centers in Monterey Park and reiterated her support for an EIR but believed it was insufficient. She commented on the previous SPARC meetings and asked the City Council to listen to their constituents.
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• Hrag Balian, resident, spoke about the petition he helped create to oppose the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project. He commented on how neighboring cities would view Monterey Park if the proposed project was approved and reiterated the importance of clarity and transparency.
• Steve Scharf communicated his disdain towards the idea of data centers in Monterey Park and articulated the misinformation allegedly provided by City Council regarding the proposed data center project.
• Ebony Guerrero, a California Youth Leadership Fellow, urged the City to vote yes to the proposed moratorium and recommended Council Member Wong to recuse himself regarding the decision of the proposed 1977 data center project as it may be a potential conflict of interest.
• Paul Lange, resident, recommended that Saturn Park should be developed into mixed-use housing and expressed his opinion on private institutions developing residential land for economic benefit.
• Melissa Michelson, representing the San Gabriel Valley Progressive Alliance, spoke about her opposition to the proposed data center and recommended a permanent ban on data centers.
• Dora Leung submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Vincent Chang commented that most elderly residents in Monterey Park have limited technology experience and as such were not informed of the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project.
• Josue Morales, alongside American Sign Language translators Jasmine Salazar and Ana Maritza Rivera talked about his experience living in Monterey Park and expressed his confusion as to why a data center would be interested in a small city like Monterey Park.
• Roxanna Farhani vocalized her opposition towards data centers in Monterey Park, claiming the city was chosen for its socioeconomic demographics. She believed the results from the SPARC meetings were not representative of what the residents want.
• Maximillian Reed expressed his opinion on the City Council's need to better communicate with the residents on what is needed for the City and voiced his opposition to data centers in Monterey Park.
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• Felicia Marquez shared the potential harmful environmental impacts data centers bring to residential communities.
• Youssef Ghasham submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Jesse Damon spoke about his experience as a public health practitioner and claimed the idea of an EIR was only considered due to community advocacy.
• Joyce Vega declared her opposition to the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project.
• Priscilla Isip submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Scarlett Orta submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Daiquelin Frumento commented on her recent notification of the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project. She expressed her opinion on the lack of job creation a project of this scale would provide.
• Carlos T. Navarrette submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Virginia Cruz submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• A registered public speaker provided her family's history of residing in Monterey Park and voiced her opposition towards any data centers in Monterey Park.
• Brandon Solorzano submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Jon Tran expressed his concerns regarding the City Council's decision- making process and vocalized his opposition to data centers in Monterey Park.
• Domino submitted a speaker card but was not present when their name was called.
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• Janice Yee submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Christine Harsono provided her opinion on data centers and opposed the idea of one in Monterey Park.
• Kary Ramirez submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Nikole Liang, resident, spoke about the potential harmful effects data centers will bring on the residents and the environment.
• Irma Gorrocino and Hagar Benitez spoke about their experiences living in Monterey Park and opposed the idea of data centers in Monterey Park.
• Kristenne Reidy submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Agatha Rodriguez submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Catherine Horlick Wilson submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Wyatt Stiles submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• David Hanson, representing United Association Plumbers Local Union 3, spoke in favor of the moratorium and the EIR, as he believes it is important to hold the developer accountable.
• Christina Cisneros, resident, spoke later as she was not present when her name was first called. She reminded the City Council of their duty to serve the community members and claimed the City Council is misinforming the public. She reiterated the potential negative effects data centers cause on the environment and on communities.
• Rico Rivera submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Valerie Lizarraga submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
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• Jessica Ju submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Sebrina Phan submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Steven Kung commented on the proposed moratorium and provided recommendations on how the City should proceed with the EIR. He gave his opinion about the decision-making process of the City Council and City management.
• Madeline Ocampo submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Aurora Mireles submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• A registered public speaker talked about her generational family ties to Monterey Park and voiced her opposition to the project.
• Eric Morales, resident, expressed his disapproval of any data centers in Monterey Park and relayed his interest in economically developing the community with small businesses.
• Caleb Shimke, resident, approved the moratorium, and expressed interest in affordable housing.
• Alex Leon commented on the potential negative effects of data centers and questioned what the future of Monterey Park would look like if a data center was developed.
• Richard T. Kamei submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Yoko submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Sam Kahan detailed his opinions about the previous December 3, 2025, regular City Council meeting and commented on the written correspondence provided by the developer to the City Council. He elaborated on his disapproval of the data center.
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• Alice Li urged the City Council to vote yes on the proposed moratorium and recommended City Council to find a more permanent solution to ban data centers entirely.
• Grace Young submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Mimi Li, resident, explained her recent findings regarding data centers and voiced her opposition to the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project.
• Haley submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Nancy Nguyen expressed her concerns regarding a zone change on a property she was developing and expressed her disappointment to the City Council about the proposed data center project.
• Mitchel Del Rio vocalized his opposition to the moratorium and provided details on the negative effects of data centers.
• Aaron Reveles submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Jenny Talia Dal submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• A registered public speaker emphasized the City Council's alleged lack of respect for the community during Public Communications. She believed there is no benefit to building a data center.
• Logan Bell, resident, spoke in favor of the moratorium, believing an EIR is important to the community.
• Godfrey Wachira, representing the Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development, Los Angeles (CREED LA) communicated his support for the data center project as it will benefit career outreach and provide opportunities to people who need second chances.
• Dave Jones provided a written correspondence to the City Clerk and the City Council to be filed in the record. He expressed his approval of the amount of citizen advocacy received regarding the data center project. He talked about the proposed moratorium and recommend ed it
be permanent as he believed a data center does not belong in the City.
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• Bryan Mercke commented on the late addition of the moratorium and recommended there be an addition to the agenda to ban data centers entirely. He provided his opinion on Mayor Yang and Council Member Wong regarding their outside employment and urged the public to vote no for data centers.
• Vivian Romero detailed her legacy in Monterey Park and spoke about the environmental injustices she has seen over the decades and believed approving a data center will worsen its effects entirely.
• Helene Ly, resident, explained her opposition to the proposed data center project.
• Angelica expressed her support for the EIR and opposed the proposed data center project.
• Teresa submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Amy L. submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Lilly Huang talked about the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in nearby cities and compared it to the proposed data center project.
• Emily Leang elaborated on her long-time residency in Monterey Park and expressed her opposition to the proposed data center project.
• Dolores Roque submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Maychelle Yee commented on the residents' requests and recommended environmentally friendly modifications to the proposed data center. She mentioned the previous SPARC meetings, addressed comments made about Council Member Wong and expressed the importance of respecting the communities' right to speak regardless of opinion.
• Aliya Fang submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Ismael submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
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• Angela Hong submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Samuel Taylor submitted a speaker card but was not present when he was called.
Extension of Council Meeting
Action Taken: The City Council extended the Council Meeting to 12:00 a.m.
Motion: Moved by Council Member Wong and seconded by Council Member Ngo, motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Council Members: Henry Lo, Vinh Ngo, Jose Sanchez, Thomas Wong, Elizabeth Yang
Noes: Council Members: None
Absent: Council Members: None
Abstain: Council Members: None
Recusal: Council Members: None
Public Speakers, continued:
• Sam Mau, resident, commented on the research conducted into the potential electricity usage in the City if a data center were to be built in Monterey Park.
• Jorg Correga submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Thomas Fernandez submitted a speaker card but was not present when his name was called.
• Cady Cole vocalized her disapproval of data centers as she does not want her family and friends to be contaminated by the negative effects of their development.
• Felicia Sandoval submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Katherine Torres relayed her concerns regarding the concept of data centers and requested to hear more from the developer and alleged hearing Council Member Ngo's approval of the proposed data center project.
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• Shayda Jalali articulated her disapproval of the data center and explained how research is conducted for private projects such as the proposed 1977 Saturn data center project. She claimed the potential negative impacts may be worse than they appear.
• Jack Chen submitted a speaker card but was not present when her name was called.
• Meredith Lepe, resident, expressed her opposition to the proposed data center project. She detailed that data centers consume large amounts of water, which contradicts Monterey Park's citywide issued water restriction.
• A registered public speaker spoke about receiving news about the proposed data center through social media. He conveyed his disapproval of data centers and
talked about respecting the opinions of
others.
• Robert Lopez articulated his objection to the proposed data center project and expressed his care for the people.
• Jessica Chou commented on her personal experience living in Monterey Park and conveyed her concerns about the potential environmental effects data centers may bring to the community.
• Anne Kageyama urged the City Council to reconsider their decision regarding the proposed data center project and asked them to step into
the resident’s shoes to see the negative effects of data centers.
• The City Clerk's office received and filed written communications from K. Shen, O Shen, J Gonse, E. Shen, Elizabeth Mercado, Vincent Cheng, Evelyn Moreno, Kelly McNeill, Karen Z, Natalie Wong, Nikita Bitra, Janice Wong, Noelle Wong, Sally Smith, Elizabeth Mercado, Richard Kamei, Siew Low, Erica Yu, Vi Chen, Lisa Dott, Pui-Yuk Dorothy Ko, Madeline Ocampo, Kai Ebens, Zen Tran, Wesley Reutimann, David Diaz from Active SGV, Kimberly Phung, Victoria Landeros-Lopez from the Montebello Teachers Association and James
Pugh regarding Special Meeting Agenda Item No. 5.A.
• During the City Council's discussion regarding special meeting Agenda Item No. 5.A Eric Chen submitted a speaker card. He expressed his support for the moratorium and proposed a city-wide ban on data centers entirely.
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• The Applicant provided their informational sheet that was available to the public.
Discussion: The City Council ensued in a discussion regarding Agenda Item No. 5.A. and commented on the residents' concerns about data centers in the City.
Extension of Council Meeting
Action Taken: The City Council extended the Council Meeting to 1:00 a.m.
Motion: Moved by Council Member Wong and seconded by Council Member Ngo, motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Council Members: Henry Lo, Vinh Ngo, Jose Sanchez, Thomas Wong, Elizabeth Yang
Noes: Council Members: None
Absent: Council Members: None
Abstain: Council Members: None
Recusal: Council Members: None
Action Taken: The City Council approved and waived Urgency Ordinance 2272 upon a 4/5 vote as amended, to remove the language in Section 4(C) “Accordingly, the City Manager, or designee, is directed to require that any applicant with a pending data center application prepare an EIR in accordance with applicable law to fully inform decision-makers regarding potential significant impacts of such land uses.” and amended to replace the language in Section (E) of “The City Manager and City Attorney are directed to draft regulations that are substantially similar to those previously considered on November 6, 2024 to govern data centers within Saturn Park” to “The City Manager and City Attorney are directed to draft regulations that prohibit data centers within the City’s jurisdiction.”, and directed staff to research housing into the zoning code.
Motion: Moved by Council Member Wong and seconded by Council Member Sanchez, motion by the following vote:
Ayes: Council Members: Henry Lo, Vinh Ngo, Jose Sanchez, Thomas Wong, Elizabeth Yang
Noes: Council Members: None
Absent: Council Members: None
Abstain: Council Members: None
Recusal: Council Members: None
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Recessed and Reconvened
The City Council recessed at 12:20 a.m. and reconvened with all Council Members present at 12:42 a.m.
5.B. Receive and File Regarding Council Member Thomas Wong's Participation on the Saturn Park Advisory Review Committee (SPARC)
This item was rolled over to the Jan. 21, 2026 Regular Meeting as Consent Calendar Item No. 10.E.
Recent social media posts allege that Council Member Thomas Wong may not participate in crafting land use regulations governing Saturn Park because of a perceived conflict of interest. The narrative is that Mr. Wong’s participation in the Saturn Park Advisory Committee (SPARC) and subsequent vote implementing new zoning regulations for Saturn Park constituted a legal conflict of interest under applicable law (the Political Reform Act and rules promulgated by the Fair Political Practices Commission).
A review of the record, however, shows there is ample evidence demonstrating that Council Member Wong’s service on the SPARC and his subsequent decision-making regarding zoning for Saturn Park are legally permissible. Those same rules apply to Item No. 5A on the Special Meeting Agenda for January 21
st.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council consider:
1. Receiving and filing the attached staff report regarding Council Member Thomas Wong's participation on the Saturn Park Advisory Review Committee (SPARC); and
2. Taking such additional, related action that may be desirable.
Action Taken: Agenda Item No. 5.B. was rolled over to the January 21, 2026 Regular City Council meeting as Consent Calendar Item No. 10.E. The Agenda Item was approved alongside Consent Calendar Item Nos. 10.A.,
10.B., 10.C., and 10.D.
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Motion: Moved by Council Member Wong and seconded by Council Member Ngo, motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Council Members: Henry Lo, Vinh Ngo, Jose Sanchez, Thomas Wong, Elizabeth Yang
Noes: Council Members: None
Absent: Council Members: None
Abstain: Council Members: None
Recusal: Council Members: None
6. Adjournment
There being no further business for consideration, the meeting was adjourned at 1:00 a.m.
__________________
Maychelle Yee
City Clerk
Approved on April 1, 2026, at the regular City Council Meeting