Goodyear backs $15,000 annual Rio Reimagined coordinator role through MAG partnership

Goodyear Backs Rio Reimagined Federal Partnership Coordinator; Council Signals Support While Demanding West Valley Equity

Goodyear City Council heard an exhaustive briefing on Rio Reimagined—a 55-mile, multi-stakeholder revitalization initiative spanning the Salton Gila River Corridor across six cities, two tribal nations, state and federal agencies, and non-profit partners—and moved forward with approval for staff to negotiate a $15,000-per-year four-year commitment to hire a full-time federal partnership coordinator housed at the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). The March 6, 2023, work session revealed a complex, federally backed program already attracting $27 million in direct grants, but also exposed underlying anxiety that Goodyear—lacking direct river frontage—might be marginalized in planning and resource allocation favoring the East Valley.

Key Speeches

"We have been working over the last five or six years on a large-scale urban design project which is to revitalize the Salton Gila River Corridor that transects the valley. We're really focused today on a specific item as you can see in your agenda which is for the City of Goodyear to participate in a co-share co-managed leadership position someone that would be hired to support the work of the Rio." — Cecilia Revere, Arizona State University, University City Exchange director

"I remember sitting in Senator McCain's office talking about this before it was a reality and I was at the kickoff meeting when we unveiled what it would look like. I am excited about it because I see the potential. However, I want to be sure that Goodyear isn't left out because we don't really have a river Frontage per se and I don't want us to be the last afterthought for some reason when mag's involved the East Valley gets everything." — Councilmember Wally Campbell

"I really Marvel at all the entities that you've gotten together to work on this collaboratively from the federal to the state and just a myriad of others. I mean that's pretty remarkable and so no doubt you do need somebody to kind of coordinate now." — Vice Mayor Brannon Hampton

"My biggest question as we go through here is I like the idea of possibly when we do our general plan looking at land area that we may want to lock down around there to have some control and the second thing is being in the desert I would imagine the biggest challenge is where is the water coming from so that's going to be the biggest challenge to populate this with water is where do we get it from." — Mayor Joe Pizzillo

Timeline

• Briefing introduction: Cecilia Revere and Christian Williams opened with a 20-minute overview of Rio Reimagined's scope, federal engagement, current projects, and the coordinator position proposal.

• Project overview: Revere described a 55-mile-plus corridor spanning one to two miles on both sides of the river banks, involving six cities (Phoenix, Tempe, Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, and others), two tribal nations, Maricopa County, multiple state and federal agencies, and non-profit partners. She emphasized that this is a multi-decade initiative that began in the 1960s and was revitalized five to six years ago under former U.S. Senator John McCain's leadership and has been built on the foundational work of U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva.

• Federal funding and projects: Revere documented $27 million in active grants including a $25 million RAISE grant for a Third Street bridge in South Central Phoenix connecting the Rio Salado habitat wildlife area, ongoing brownfields assessment and cleanup in partnership with Phoenix, Tempe, and Avondale ($1.5 million for community redevelopment), and $10 million in Department of Forestry and Fire Management funding for salt cedar and invasive species removal across West Valley sites.

• Coordinator position details: The proposal calls for a full-time regional federal partnership coordinator and grant writer to be hired in Q2 2023 and housed at MAG as a contract consultant. The co-share model requires $15,000 per year for four years from each participating entity—cities, tribal nations, SRP, and ASU. The IGA (intergovernmental agreement) took 18 months to finalize and is now approved at staff level across all signatories except MAG, which has a separate memorandum of understanding. An advisory council composed of staff representatives from each funder will oversee the ambassador's scope of work and performance metrics annually.

• Council discussion: Four council members posed questions and offered reactions. Brannon Hampton inquired whether the four-year funding would be renewed and whether there would be a transition to a proposed 501(c)(3) non-profit. Revere replied that a non-profit entity is in early exploratory stages, led by Greater Phoenix Leadership and Napoleon Trust, with private sector support, and is modeled on successful infrastructure non-profits such as the High Line and Wally Campbell raised concerns about Goodyear being overlooked due to lack of direct river frontage and requested regular briefings and a dedicated work session on Goodyear-specific opportunities. Brannon Hampton expressed enthusiasm about the "three lake concept" and land-banking possibilities. Joe Pizzillo emphasized water sourcing as the paramount challenge for any recreation nodes and suggested the general plan revision should contemplate land preservation and control along the corridor. Christian Williams responded that staff would convene a work session to align the general plan, parks/recreation/trails master plan, and the El Rio Confluence Lake plan with Goodyear's corridor priorities.

• Public comment: No public comment period was held during the work session.

• Vote: No formal vote was taken; the council moved staff-level approval forward with the understanding that a council vote would occur at a regular session.

Opposition

Not applicable; no organized opposition was present or stated during the work session.

Support

Councilmember supporters: All four council members who spoke—Brannon Hampton, Wally Campbell, Benita Beckles, and Joe Pizzillo—expressed enthusiasm for the Rio Reimagined program and the coordinator position.

• Key themes of support:
  1. Recognition of the program's scale and federal backing, with multiple cabinet-level visits from both administrations and 100% support from the Arizona delegation.
  2. Belief in the long-term economic development and recreation potential for Goodyear and the West Valley.
  3. Acknowledgment of the need for a dedicated, grant-writing professional to compete for and manage federal funding.
  4. Interest in a non-profit governance model to insulate the initiative from political cycles.
  5. Enthusiasm for nodes of recreation, trail connectivity, and green infrastructure modeled on successful projects like the San Antonio River Walk, Tempe Town Lake, the High Line, and the Beltline.
  6. Recognition of the program's roots in former Senator John McCain's vision and U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva's foundational work.

Organized entities backing the initiative: EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Maricopa County, Lower Gila River Collaborative, Buckeye Water Conservation District, Gila Riverkeeper Community, Arizona Rock Products Association, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Napoleon Trust, and ASU.

Project Details

• Initiative: Rio Reimagined Urban Waters Federal Partnership Coordinator Position
• Scope: Full-time regional liaison/ambassador to coordinate federal and non-profit resources for Rio Salton Gila River Corridor revitalization across six cities and two tribal nations.
• Participating cities: Phoenix, Tempe, Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, and others (all signatories to the IGA).
• Participating tribes: Posh and Akimel O'odham (formerly known as Pima and Maricopa).
• Funding model: Co-share at $15,000 per year for four years from each city, tribal nation, SRP, and ASU; total of approximately $300,000 over four years (assuming eight signatories).
• Host organization: Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), which will provide in-kind management and back-office support.
• Position classification: Contract consultant to the partnership, not a direct MAG employee.
• Hiring timeline: Q2 2023; anticipated start date July 2023.
• Advisory oversight: Staff representative from each funder on an annual advisory council managing scope, performance metrics, and grant portfolio.
• Corridor scope: 55-mile-plus reach spanning both sides of the Salton Gila River banks with a one- to two-mile development buffer on each side.
• Geographic coverage: West Valley (Buckeye Water Conservation District, Avondale, Goodyear, lower Gila River confluence), Central Valley (Phoenix, Tempe), and East Valley reaches.
• Land ownership complexity: Mix of public lands, private lands, legacy industries, and tribal lands.

Coordinator Position Duties (As Described)

• Serve as a full-time strategic leader and federal partnership ambassador.
• Write and submit grant applications to 15 federal agencies participating in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership program.
• Manage and oversee awarded grants and reporting on behalf of the partnership.
• Facilitate and convene regional coordination across all partner entities (cities, tribes, county, state, federal, non-profits).
• Connect local needs to national non-profit networks and learning communities.
• Provide technical assistance to cities on grant opportunities and corridor development priorities.
• Coordinate with 28 national non-profits that partner with the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.

Other Active Rio Reimagined Projects

Brownfield Coalition: Phoenix, Tempe, and Avondale have joined forces with EPA support to identify, assess, and remediate contaminated parcels along the corridor. First grant round of $1.5 million is being distributed for community redevelopment of cleanup sites. Goodyear is invited to join and apply.

Third Street Bridge (Phoenix): $25 million RAISE grant from Department of Transportation to construct a new bridge connecting South Central Phoenix to the Rio Salado habitat wildlife area with lighted pedestrian and bike trails.

West Valley Invasive Species Removal: $10 million in federal funding from Department of Forestry and Fire Management for salt cedar and invasive species removal, native plant restoration, fire risk mitigation, and habitat support across West Valley sites, managed in partnership with Lower Gila River Collaborative, Maricopa County, Buckeye Water Conservation District, and Gila Riverkeeper Community.

Phoenix Bond and Land Acquisition: City of Phoenix is placing a bond on the ballot to purchase strategic parcels along its river reach to ensure community input on redevelopment and prevent speculative development.

Army Corps of Engineers 91st Avenue Trailhead: U.S. Army Corps project to restore 13-mile segment of Phoenix reach, including invasive species removal, native plant installation, and habitat support for critical bird areas.

Tempe Vegetation Management: Major thinning project coordinated with social service agencies to address unsheltered populations in the corridor during restoration.

Audubon Center at Central Avenue: Private-sector-funded pollinator garden with community engagement from South Central Collaborative.

West Valley El Rio Confluence Lake: Concept plan developed by Maricopa County; remains on shelf but represents future recreational and flood-control opportunity at the Buckeye Water Conservation District and Avondale.

Trail Connectivity and State Route 30 Mitigation: Partnership with MAG and ADOT exploring freeway mitigation funds for bike and pedestrian access along SR-30 and regional trail connectivity.

501(c)(3) Non-Profit Formation: Greater Phoenix Leadership and Napoleon Trust are in early exploratory stages of establishing a dedicated non-profit to support Rio Reimagined long-term, modeled on the High Line and Beltline non-profits. Not yet filed; private sector funding being assembled.

Vote Breakdown

No formal vote was taken at the work session. The council approved staff-level advancement of the proposal for formal council consideration and authorization at a subsequent regular meeting.

Outcome & Next Steps

The council endorsed moving the Rio Reimagined federal partnership coordinator proposal forward to a regular council vote. Christian Williams committed to organizing a dedicated work session with council to map Goodyear-specific opportunities along the corridor, including alignment with the city's general plan revision, parks/recreation/trails master plan, and the El Rio Confluence Lake concept. Revere committed to providing regular briefings to council—more frequent than annual—to keep Goodyear engaged in the evolving partnership. The IGA is now at 60% approval across all signatories; Avondale was also considering it on its March 6 agenda. Upon full council authorization, the hiring process for the coordinator position is targeted to begin in Q2 2023, with an anticipated July 2023 start date.

Controversies & Context

West Valley Equity Concern: Wally Campbell articulated a significant tension underlying the initiative: Goodyear lacks direct river frontage, unlike Phoenix, Tempe, and Avondale, and Wally Campbell voiced worry that "when mag's involved the East Valley gets everything" and that Goodyear risked being "the last afterthought." This concern maps onto a broader West Valley perception of resource and policy bias toward urban-core and East Valley jurisdictions in Wally Campbell requested not annual but more frequent briefings to ensure Goodyear stays "on the front burner." Williams and Revere acknowledged the concern and committed to detailed work sessions on Bullard Wash connectivity and recreational corridor possibilities specific to Goodyear's reach.

Water Sourcing as Primary Challenge: Multiple council members, including Joe Pizzillo and Wally Campbell, identified water as the paramount constraint for any recreation nodes or lake concepts along the corridor. Revere noted that the Lower Gila River Collaborative has undertaken strategic planning on water sources—including add-tail water, storm water, and future anticipation—but acknowledged this remains an unsolved problem. Joe Pizzillo stated bluntly: "My biggest question is where is the water coming from so that's going to be the biggest challenge to populate this with water."

Historical Context: Senator John McCain initiated the Rio Reimagined vision. U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva built foundational partnerships. ASU, under Revere and Melissa McCann's direction, has served as a five-to-six-year institutional catalyst, transitioning now toward a private-sector-led non-profit model (Greater Phoenix Leadership, Napoleon Trust) to ensure continuity beyond political cycles.

Federal Momentum: Revere emphasized 100% support from Arizona's federal delegation and two EPA administrator visits, signaling sustained political backing regardless of administration changes. The 15-federal-agency Urban Waters Federal Partnership and 28 national non-profit network offer national learning and capital flows.

Land-Banking and General Plan Implications: Councilmember Loratano and Joe Pizzillo both suggested that Goodyear's concurrent general plan revision should contemplate strategic land acquisition or preservation along the corridor—a proactive stance to ensure local control rather than reactive development. This echoes Phoenix's announced bond for parcels along its reach.

Duration

• Rio Reimagined briefing and discussion: Approximately 40 minutes.
• Total work session: Approximately 50 minutes (including setup).

Project Genesis and Political Lineage

Revere framed Rio Reimagined as a revival and expansion of a vision initiated in the 1960s but formally launched five to six years ago under former U.S. Senator John McCain's leadership. McCain brought the concept to all West Valley mayors, including then-Mayor Lord of Goodyear, and to ASU leadership. U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva built the foundational partnerships with federal agencies and non-profits. The initiative represents a multi-decade commitment spanning administrations (both Biden and Trump administrations have shown cabinet-level support), with 100% backing from Arizona's full federal delegation—a rare consensus in contemporary Arizona politics.

The Rio Reimagined partnership is benchmarked against successful river-revitalization and infrastructure-based non-profit models nationwide: the San Antonio River Walk (with its distinct reaches—core commerce, mission cultural heritage, museum arts), the High Line (Manhattan elevated rail repurposed as public park), and the Beltline (Atlanta industrial rail loop converted to parks, trails, and mixed-use development). Revere emphasized that these models share a common governance structure: a dedicated non-profit entity that outlives political cycles, secures private and philanthropic capital, and maintains community stewardship.

Organizational Complexity and Governance Innovation

The IGA governing the coordinator position is, by Revere's account, "very unusual" and took 18 months to finalize. It includes traditional intergovernmental agreement language for all city and tribal signatories, but a separate memorandum of understanding for MAG (the host organization), since MAG is not a funder but a service provider and administrative home. This hybrid structure reflects the coordinator's role as a regional convener across multiple sovereignties (cities, tribes, county, state, federal) rather than a traditional municipal employee.

The advisor council—composed of one staff representative from each funder—will annually review the coordinator's scope of work, performance metrics, and grant portfolio. This creates a check against any one jurisdiction or funder dominating the coordinator's priorities.