Joshua Imeri-Garcia

Joshua Imeri-Garcia advises clients through public-private partnerships, design-build variations and other alternative delivery infrastructure projects. He currently serves as part of the legal team for the East County Advanced Water Purification Project, the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) I-15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension (ELPSE) and the Santa Clara Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project.

He also specializes in public law matters and holds a diverse portfolio of practice areas that encompass interpretation of resolutions, ordinances, policies, contracts, land-use and zoning regulations, CEQA, the Brown Act, Public Records Act, Political Reform Act and anti-camping policies.

He served as Assistant City Attorney to the City of Lompoc where he attended all Lompoc Planning Commission meetings. He also served as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. In both positions, he assisted with contracts, ordinances, resolutions and staff reports. He has represented the City of Hesperia in dispute resolution matters related to the Ranchero Road Widening project. Additionally, he successfully represented more than thirteen California Cities in preparing two amicus briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States related to homeless issues where the Court cited the briefs within the majority’s opinion.

Joshua is a graduate of LMU Loyola Law School, where he was a member of the Hispanic Bar Association’s Moot Court team, served as outreach chair for the Environmental Law Club and was a fundraiser for the Public Interest Law Society. During his time at Loyola, Joshua gathered a variety of legal skills working with various public agencies including the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the California Franchise Tax Bureau’s Taxpayer Appellate Tax Clinic.

Prior to law school Joshua served in various positions on behalf of San Bernardino County elected officials ranging from the U.S. House of Representatives, the California State Senate, to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Experience

Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project, Santa Clara County, California. Member of the legal team advising Valley Water in the earthquake retrofitting of Anderson Dam to improve reliability and safety and return the reservoir to its original storage capacity. Anderson Reservoir was lowered to 3% of its capacity because seismic stability evaluations indicated that a large magnitude earthquake may result in an adverse impact on the outlet pipe and intake structure.

East County Advanced Water Purification (ECAWP) Joint Powers Authority (JPA) – East County Advanced Water Purification Project. Member of the legal team advising the JPA in the development of four progressive design-build (PDB) packages that will provide East San Diego County with a new, safe, sustainable and drought-proof water supply using state-of-the-art technology and potable reuse. Once online, the ECAWP Project is anticipated to treat the combined 2025 wastewater flow of approximately 15 million gallons per day and produce up to 12,880 acre-feet per year or 11.5 MGD, of new, safe, dependable and locally controlled potable water supply. This represents approximately 30% of East County’s water demand. Advising on all aspects of the procurement including structuring the transaction, drafting the RFQ, RFP and PDB contracts<

Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) I-15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension (ELPSE). Member of the legal team advising the I-15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension. In collaboration with the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS), I assist the project aimed at extending tolled express lanes along Interstate 15 between Lake Elsinore and Corona. As the local project sponsor, RCTC and CALTRANS are leading preliminary engineering and environmental studies to prepare the Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment (EIR/EA) under CEQA and NEPA. The proposed 15.8-mile extension aims to enhance traffic operations, alleviate congestion and improve travel times. Key project features include adding southbound auxiliary lanes, widening 15 bridges and installing electronic toll collection systems, noise barriers and signage along the corridor.

City of Hesperia Rancho Road Widening Project. Former member of the legal team defending the City of Hesperia against a $12 million dollar claim for damages related to the Ranchero Road Widening Project. The Ranchero Road Widening Project is the third phase of an ongoing project to enhance the Ranchero Road Corridor--a major east-west corridor carrying more than 15,000 motorists daily. Previous phases of the project included the installation of an underpass at the BNSF Railroad tracks and an interchange at the intersection of Ranchero Road and Interstate 15. 

City of Rancho Palos Verdes. Former member of the legal team defending the City of Rancho Palos Verdes against land-use litigation claims related to the ancient slow-moving Portuguese Bend Landslide. The ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide is part of a larger complex of ancient landslides on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The landslide reactivated in 1956 by Los Angeles County’s planned extension of Crenshaw Boulevard and has been moving ever since, becoming one of the largest continuously active landslides in the U.S. and moving homes by hundreds of feet over the years. The land moves because of the dynamics of surface water percolating into the ground and water trapped deep underground, sliding as much as 8.5 feet per year. The city spends approximately $1 million annually resurfacing a portion of Palos Verdes Drive South that is continuously shifting and cracking due to the landslide.