Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Heat Mitigation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Maryvale residents press Phoenix for targeted heat-mitigation investments and a local plan
Summary
Multiple speakers at the Phoenix budget hearing urged Councilwoman Betty Guardado and city staff to prioritize heat mitigation in Maryvale, asking for more trees, shade structures, cooler bus stops, a Maryvale-specific plan and targeted budget allocations.
Residents and community organizers told the city at a public budget hearing that Maryvale faces extreme heat and asked council and staff to prioritize heat mitigation funding and a local resilience plan.
"As part of my mutual aid efforts, I provide food, water, and essential supplies, multiple days a week to those in need... I've encountered people so close to death from heat stroke, that they thought I was a literal angel," said Amanda Kaminskas, who described outreach work to unhoused neighbors and urged the city to fund shade structures, larger bus stops and tree planting in Maryvale.
Speakers cited measurements and lived experience that Maryvale is several degrees hotter than other parts of Phoenix. Community organizer DJ Portugal urged specific budget lines to be prioritized in neighborhoods with the highest pollution and heat exposure: $10,000,000 for electric buses, $7,000,000 for the cool-corridors program, $1,000,000 for new trees and parks and targeted use of Vision Zero funds to improve pedestrian safety. "These aren't just budget lines. They're opportunities to save lives," Portugal said.
Other commenters asked for a dedicated Maryvale heat-resilience planning effort led jointly by the city's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation and local community groups. Daphne Cortez of the Roomboke Project told the council that Maryvale needs shaded walkways, cooler bus stops and safer, more walkable streets. Magdalena Avila de Marin and other volunteers urged direct action on tree planting and shade in areas with high rates of heat-related illness.
Ending: Speakers asked the council to direct funding and planning resources to Maryvale as part of the upcoming budget process; city staff at the hearing indicated plans and city programs exist and encouraged community members to meet with heat-response staff for specifics.
