Elizabeth Spencer | American Fork Citizen

Hundreds gathered in the Alpine Tabernacle on Memorial Day to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. This year’s program recognized and celebrated the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation. Each year, American Fork City and the Cemetery Committee hosts the patriotic event.

The Master of Ceremonies for the event was Lloyd Togisala, a local retired Army Major who served 22 years of active duty. He began the event by reminding patriots, “Freedom is not free.”

“To conduct the Memorial Day Program was a privilege, as we, as a community, honored the 53 from American Fork who gave their lives in combat,” shared Togisala. “The magnitude of respect and sincerity from the community was amazing.”

The American Fork City Honor Guard, made up of our American Fork fire and police departments, posted colors. The American Fork Marching Band then performed “Salute to America’s Finest.” The musical arrangement featured songs from each branch of our military. Veterans stood when their branch of music was played, so the crowd could honor and thank them with a huge round of applause.

Special guest speaker Carl Draper spoke of all the blessings citizens enjoy because of our freedoms. “I can decide what kind of friend, husband, citizen, grandfather, I want to be,” said Draper.

“Ordinary moments start to feel normal, and we think we earned them just by where we live. Let us be people worthy of what we inherit,” he added.

Draper encouraged citizens to be grateful for their freedom, reminding them that “freedom is a chance to be better.” He then shared ways we can strengthen our city, such as giving a simple smile or wave, holding the door, not wasting opportunities we’ve been given, supporting our schools, helping neighbors, and checking in on someone who is sick.

“Real freedom isn’t ‘I can do what I want.’ Real freedom is ‘I can choose what is right,’” said Draper.

Miss American Fork, Whitney Wilkins, shared, “This year was one of my favorite Memorial Days. I am constantly blown away by the community of American Fork and how they always come together and show up for each other. At the Tabernacle memorial, I was reminded of the freedoms I often take for granted and the people who gave everything for them.”

Togisala said, “I also think it helps keep our community grounded in gratitude rather than entitled. It connects current generations to its historical legacy, remembering the names of local soldiers who fought in these wars and their families who are still here. To them, this loss is a daily reality, not just an annual event. I think it helps them heal when the community honors their soldier. We’re in this together.”

American Fork veterans who lost their lives in combat were remembered during the reading of the Honor Roll. Each was remembered with the posting of a small flag, a moment of silence, and a personal salute.

“I love how Mr. Draper reminded us that this freedom is also a responsibility that we all need to fight for every day,” Wilkins added. “I was very touched as we honored our veterans, placed memorial flags, and celebrated America’s 250 years. Tears were shed as I met the families of these fallen soldiers. Words cannot express my gratitude for them. I’m grateful for this country and our amazing community. God bless America.”

The program concluded with the VFW Post 4918 and American Legion Post 49 conducting a 21-gun salute, followed by “Taps” played by two members of the American Fork Marching Band.

“It’s an honor to be here representing the POWs and the MIA, those who never made it back,” said veteran Harvey Taylor, who belongs to the Timpanogos Honor Guard.

“The importance for American Fork citizens to remember these fallen soldiers helps confront the reality that these privileges are not free, but paid for by individuals who gave their lives or entire future for this country,” shared Togisala.

Brynn Carnesecca | American Fork Citizen

Intermountain Health’s American Fork Hospital was recently recognized for its commitment to having and maintaining trees on campus. The award was presented by The Arbor Day Foundation, a global nonprofit dedicated to encouraging trees in communities.

The recognition comes as an acknowledgement of effort in different areas of landscape on campus, particularly with trees.

“Trees play a vital role in supporting healthier environments and stronger communities,” said Glen Garrick, Intermountain Health director of system sustainability. “At Intermountain, sustainability is closely tied to our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible.”

Earning the title of Tree Campus can be a layered and sometimes difficult process. Applicants must meet five core areas, including establishing a committee, creating a tree care plan and hosting an Arbor Day observance. Once the criteria are met, an application can be submitted on behalf of the organization.

The Arbor Day Foundation recognizes a variety of organizations, such as schools, universities and healthcare facilities, that use green spaces to support health and strengthen communities.

Trees and green spaces have been shown to reduce stress and improve health outcomes for patients, visitors and caregivers. Patients have reportedly enjoyed the new trees and commitment to beautifying the campus.

In addition to their health benefits, trees also provide important community benefits, including improved air filtration and quality, greater campus cooling during extreme heat events, and better stormwater management.

Trees also require significantly less water than traditional turf, making them an important part of long‑term water conservation efforts.

“Through ongoing investments like planting trees and expanding green spaces, we are improving campus environments in ways that support healing, conserve water, and benefit both people and the planet,” said Garrick.

Throughout the year of 2025, American Fork Hospital sought to follow their plan and create a campus with more trees and education surrounding them. Their efforts have included planting 50 new trees, expanding shaded areas and beautifying the campus.

Other work included the addition of a new green space, a caregiver patio. The area is meant for use by staff and caregivers, giving them an outdoor area to rest and recharge. The green space is available throughout the day for workers to use.

“At Intermountain American Fork Hospital, we see firsthand how a thoughtfully designed environment can support comfort, healing and connection,” said Jason Wilson, president of the hospital. “This recognition reflects our commitment to caring for the whole community, our patients, our caregivers, and the place we are proud to call home.”

Patients and caregivers alike have been enjoying the updates.

“Our landscaping team takes great pride in maintaining the trees and green spaces around the hospital,” said Keith Pennington, who leads the landscaping team at American Fork Hospital. “We’ve seen how these spaces are used and appreciated by caregivers and visitors, and it’s rewarding to know our work is contributing to a healthier, more welcoming environment.”

For more information about American Fork Hospital, visit intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/american-fork-hospital. To learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus program, visit arborday.org.

Brynn Carnesecca | American Fork Citizen

American Fork was recognized at the April 14th city council meeting for its dedication to supporting volunteerism, being designated a JustServe City. This honor highlights the city’s efforts to help organizations secure volunteers and promote the JustServe program.

Hugh and Karen Johnson, the JustServe representatives for AF, presented the award to Mayor Brad Frost and the city council.

JustServe is an online platform launched in 2012 that connects volunteers with organizations and projects in need. It now operates in 17 countries with over 100,000 organizations involved. In American Fork, 72 wards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate.

“[JustServe] gives anyone an opportunity to find things to do,” Hugh explained. “It’s a marvelous opportunity.”

Funded and sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the resource is free and non-denominational for all. Local organizations such as the Utah State Developmental Center, Harrington Center for the Arts, and Helping Hands International use the platform to raise awareness and recruit volunteers.

To earn the JustServe City designation, the Johnsons applied through the website, demonstrating American Fork’s effort to promote JustServe among local organizations and volunteers.

Hugh shared, “In February, the City Council resolved to support and endorse volunteerism, specifically mentioning JustServe. We then applied for American Fork, and JustServe awarded us a certificate.”

American Fork joined Lehi, Lindon, Orem and Spanish Fork as JustServe cities in Utah County.

Since being asked to work with JustServe in November, the Johnsons have seen firsthand how service can help unite communities and strangers.

“If you have ever volunteered for something, you walk away from those opportunities with a feeling of having done something good. Something that served more than just yourself. The serving of other people, no matter what setting it’s in, awakens in each of us a sense of joy,” Hugh expressed.

In addition to witnessing the volunteers, the Johnsons have loved connecting with leaders of service organizations.

“Personally, what I’ve seen is leaders of organizations who are so dedicated. They are people we never hear about, people who dedicate hours and their lives to doing things that benefit others,” Hugh said. “It amazes me because they go unsung and unrecognized. That is the nature of volunteerism, many times.”

Karen added, “There is a feeling you get that you’ve done something good. I feel strongly that it improves people’s self-image and mental health.”

By becoming an AF JustServe City, the Johnsons hope to bring people together through service and attract more volunteers and organizations.

“When we’ve seen individuals participate in these activities, it doesn’t matter their profession, religion, age or background,” Hugh said. “When you stand shoulder to shoulder with someone and do something that’s not for yourself, it creates a connection and a bond that remains. That’s the power of volunteerism.”

In the future, the Johnsons and the AF city council hope to promote American Fork to a Global JustServe city. The recognition is harder to earn, but it requires a long-term commitment to publishing volunteer opportunities, recognizing JustServe heroes each year, and striving to better align with JustServe’s goals.

JustServe is available as a free resource via the JustServe App, the LDS Tools App, or by visiting www.justserve.org. The website can be used by both individuals seeking service opportunities and organizations seeking volunteers.

Rob Shelton | American Fork Citizen

For the first time in two decades, families heading to the Steel Days carnival in American Fork will pay more per ride, but organizers have built in a discount window for residents who plan ahead.

The City of Fun Carnival, a Steel Days staple since 1968, will move from $1 per ticket to $2 starting this summer. The Melendez family, which owns and operates the carnival, drove the change, citing rising operational costs. But the Steel Days Committee negotiated a middle ground: American Fork residents who purchase tickets online between June 7 and June 20 can lock in a rate of $1.50 per ticket. Those looking to purchase tickets online should check the Steel Days website, http://www.steeldaysaf.com/carnival, for a link that will go live on June 7 to purchase the tickets.

Rod Martin, chairman of the board for the American Fork Chamber of Commerce, said the operator didn’t leave much room for negotiation on the long-term price.

“Pretty cut and dried, the carnival operator just said they can’t do the $1 tickets anymore and we needed to go to $2,” Martin said. The Steel Days committee members pushed back, proposing the resident-only online window as a compromise for this year to ease the shock of the new ticket price.

“Steel Days committee members asked if we could do online only for a period of time at $1.50 for residents only, and they agreed. But next year, it’s going to be $2 across the board.” Martin added, “American Fork businesses are great at stepping up and really supporting the city and our celebration.”

The $1.50 resident rate is online only, and tickets purchased during that window won’t be available for pickup until June 21 at Historic City Hall, 31 N. Church St. Starting June 21, all pre-sale tickets, both online and in-person, go to $2. Retail locations, which will accept cash only, will be announced soon.

Even at the higher price point, the deal remains one of the better values in the state. Each SteelDeal ticket covers one carnival ride, even if the ride sign lists a higher ticket count, a perk that has defined the event’s reputation for affordability since the Melendez family first proposed the discounted model to American Fork city leaders back in 1968.

That history runs deep. The carnival started in 1959 with just two rides, the Wild Mouse and the Junior Speedway, and the family approached American Fork with an empty week in their schedule, offering to let the city sell tickets for 15 cents instead of the standard 25 cents. The arrangement stuck, and the City of Fun has shown up every Steel Days since.

This year’s carnival runs four days at Mary & Art Dye Park, 1000 N. 550 E. Hours are 6-10:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 22; 4-10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23; and 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 24-25.

Tickets are sold in increments of 25, with a maximum of 200 per online order. There are a limited number of StealDeal tickets available and have sold out the past few years. All SteelDeal tickets are non-refundable.

Rob Shelton | American Fork Citizen

Homeowners in American Fork would see about $2.83 more per month on their property tax bills under a tentative fiscal year 2026-2027 city budget totaling nearly $209 million. City leaders say that money is non-negotiable if they want firefighters staffing a new station by October.

The city presented the tentative budget May 12, outlining a 9% property tax increase that would generate $660,000 in additional annual revenue. Every dollar goes toward one thing: partially staffing Fire Station 53, a third fire station set to open in the Lakeview area south of Interstate 15.

Finance Director Anna Montoya was direct about what happens if the increase doesn’t pass.
“Should the proposed tax increase not be passed, the new fire station will not have full shift coverage, leaving only five of the nine positions filled, resulting in gaps without staff at the new station,” she told the council.

The public hearing on the budget is set for June 9 at 7 p.m.

Property taxes and the new fire station

Station 53 will require nine full-time firefighter-paramedics to run properly. The 9% property tax increase equates to $34 annually, or $2.83 per month, on a median-value home assessed at $492,300. This increase covers four of those nine positions. The remaining five get funded by squeezing savings from elsewhere in the budget.

“We’re trying to grab every dollar we can, squeeze every dollar we can out of this budget to fund the staffing for this new station,” Montoya said.

Councilmember Ryan Hunter noted the scale of that internal effort. “You had to find $750,000 in addition to this tax increase just to kind of break even right now,” he said, thanking Montoya and her team publicly during the meeting.

Montoya also pushed back on the notion that 9% is steep. The city’s last tax increase came in 2022 and, since then, the Consumer Price Index has climbed 18%. “We’re asking for 9%,” she said. “We’re not even meeting CPI to cover inflation.”

The city went more than 14 years without a property tax increase before 2022, which resulted in about a 33% increase.

Mayor Brad Frost framed the immediate goal simply: Getting bodies on the south side of the city before a permanent station can be built. “We’re just getting bodies down there,” he said. “It’s our primary responsibility.”

The temporary station: Coverage now, construction later

Station 53 won’t open in a purpose-built facility. The city spent $200,000 in last year’s budget securing a temporary location in the southwest portion of the city, in the Lakeview region south of Interstate 15, and this year’s spending is entirely about getting firefighters inside it.

That temporary setup was a deliberate choice. Mayor Frost told the council the city hasn’t yet hit the population density to justify breaking ground on a full permanent station. The goal right now is coverage, not construction.

What that permanent station looks like and what it will cost remains an open question. The fire department’s own goals listed in the tentative budget include a line that underscores just how early-stage the planning is: “Develop plan for Fire Station 53. Determine scope and cost and timeline.” No price tag. No groundbreaking date.

In the meantime, staffing the temporary location requires 11.25 new full-time equivalent positions: three new captains, three new lieutenants, three new firefighter-paramedics and 2.25 part-time ambulance transport staff. Montoya noted the $1.4 million cost covers salaries and benefits only, uniforms and equipment for the new hires come on top of that.

The urgency behind all of it comes down to geography and growth. Fire Station 51, the city’s original station, currently ranks as the busiest single-station fire facility in Utah County.

American Fork’s population has nearly doubled since 2010, climbing from 26,263 residents to an estimated 48,536, and the bulk of new development is pushing south and west, far from Station 51’s response area.

A deficit that shows the pace of growth

There’s a number buried in the back of the budget that tells a broader story about what rapid growth costs a city trying to keep up.
The Fire Impact Fee Fund, the account that collects fees from new home and commercial developers to help pay for fire infrastructure made necessary by growth, is projected to end fiscal year 2026-27 more than $1 million in the red. Specifically, the fund is on track to carry a negative ending balance of $1,036,074.

That deficit isn’t a crisis, but it is a signal. The city is building and staffing fire infrastructure faster than developer fees are coming in to cover it, spending down reserves to make sure public safety keeps pace with the rooftops going up.

It’s the same dynamic playing out across the budget. American Fork has an anticipated buildout of 80,000 residents by 2041, nearly double today’s population. The city is already racing to widen roads, extend water lines, build parks and plan a $40 million public works facility, all while managing a population that has grown 50% in the past 12 years.

The fire impact fee fund deficit puts that race in concrete terms: Right now, the city is investing ahead of the revenue that new growth is supposed to generate. Whether that gap closes depends on how fast development, and the fees that come with it, continues.

Roads: $15.7 million in work

Road repair and connectivity has been the top resident priority in city surveys and the budget reflects that. Total road work expected to begin or continue in fiscal year 2026-27 reaches $15.7 million across multiple projects.

The biggest single item is the first phase of Lakeshore Drive, a $3.72 million extension from the existing road terminus to 1500 South and 100 West. Also on the list: a $2.59 million extension of 700 North from 100 East to 200 East, a $780,000 roundabout at 300 West and 200 South carried over from the prior fiscal year, $775,000 in improvements to the 1100 South and 100 East intersection, and $1.15 million in improvements to 100 West from 100 North to 700 North.

Road funding draws from multiple sources: Utah Department of Transportation Class C Road Funds, a quarter-cent sales tax dedicated to roads and transit, and a local portion of the county public transit tax. The Class C Road Allotment alone hits $2 million this year, up from $1.8 million in the prior year.

Fitness center: A $4 million fix

The city’s fitness center needs work, $4 million worth. That’s the single largest general fund capital expenditure in this year’s budget and will draw the general fund balance from a near-maximum 35% of revenues down to 25%. City officials describe it as a one-time outlay.
The fitness center question doesn’t end with the $4 million repair. Scott Roudabush, chairperson of the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee, told the council during the May 12 public comment period that his committee is unified behind pursuing a bond for an entirely new recreation center.

“We are on the same page and supporting doing a bond for a new rec center,” he said, noting the facility ranked second in the community survey behind roads.

The fitness center already operates with a 35% general fund subsidy, a rate that has held steady for the past six years.

Public safety beyond the new station

The police department isn’t standing still, either. The budget adds two full-time officers and two part-time crossing guard positions, with total increased personnel costs of nearly $695,000. Fleet spending jumps $432,000 as the department shifts from leasing vehicles to purchasing them outright.

Councilmember Hunter, who praised staff for finding budget savings wherever possible, pointed to the fleet decision as an example of the kind of line-by-line work happening behind the scenes.

What’s next

The City Council unanimously approved the tentative budget May 12. Final adoption requires a public hearing, set for Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. and a council vote no later than June 30.
A truth-in-taxation hearing on the proposed property tax rate increase, required by state law any time a city seeks a rate above the certified tax rate, is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 11.
One note from the May 12 meeting: Zero residents attended the city’s budget open house on May 5, but the tentative budget was not released until after the public hearing.

Residents can view the full tentative budget at http://www.americanfork.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19313/FY-2027-Tentative-Budget.

Rob Shelton | American Fork Citizen

A legal opinion dropped into the middle of American Fork’s PARC Tax Advisory Board review process is drawing scrutiny, not just for what it said, but for who it targeted.

City Attorney Heather Schriever raised federal Establishment Clause and Utah State Constitution No Aid Clause concerns during an April 15 PARC Tax Advisory Board meeting, calling into question whether public funds could be directed toward the Harrington Center for the Arts’ Living Bethlehem event.

Living Bethlehem is an immersive, 20‑minute theatrical experience at the Quail Cove Amphitheater. Guests walk through a recreated ancient Bethlehem, following a narrator and meeting characters such as a shepherd family and the angel Gabriel as they search the streets for the Christ Child and eventually arrive at a nativity scene. This custom scripted theatrical experience has over 150 volunteers, live animals and historically researched sets designed to resemble authentic ancient corrals that entertain about 8,000 visitors a year.

Schriever’s advice, delivered by phone partway through the committee’s deliberations, applied only to the Living Bethlehem event. No other organization in the 2026 funding cycle faced the same constitutional standard.

That asymmetry didn’t go unnoticed.

“This is the third year that this question has been posed by legal counsel, and I still don’t understand the rationale for it,” said Spencer Stevens, representing the Harrington Center. “We are not a church. We qualify as an arts and culture organization, so we are not seeking funding as a religious entity.”

What the attorney said

Schriever acknowledged during the call that federal courts have recently “loosened the reins” on what qualifies as an Establishment Clause violation, noting that if an event is not coercive and serves a secular purpose, it generally passes constitutional muster under U.S. law. But she argued Utah’s state constitution and case law remain “a little bit tighter,” and said the safer approach would be to restrict public funds to clearly secular portions of the festival.

“I just always think the safest thing is to say, hey, we’re going to use public money for this,” Schriever told the board. “Let’s find ways to allocate those public funds to the secular parts of the festival, as opposed to the religious parts of the festival.”

From Schriever’s comments and questions, she has not attended the event prior to offering that characterization. According to those present at the meeting, the attorney’s understanding of the event came entirely from questions posed to board members during the call and side conversations with City Council member Staci Carroll.

A scripted reenactment, not a worship service

What Schriever described as a “potentially religious festival” is, by the Harrington Center’s own framing, a scripted theatrical experience, closer in form to a stage production than a church service. Attendees make timed reservations, walk through scenes that include choir performances and live animals, and exit through the Christmas market. The event is part of a broader celebration that also includes Santa Claus, a holiday market, food trucks, a community stage featuring local dance and musical groups, and outdoor bonfires.

Stevens pushed back on the framing directly. “It is a play,” he told the board. “We do have actors. The story content is religious in nature, similar to other religious plays and songs performed by other artistic groups in this city.”

His point landed. Board member Hugh Johnson agreed. “I do see it as a play, culturally,” Johnson said, drawing a comparison to “Fiddler on the Roof,” and questioning whether the city’s caution amounted to overcorrection.

The selective standard

What Stevens and others found hardest to accept wasn’t the legal argument itself, it was the fact it was applied to one organization, mid-process, without warning.

“I don’t see her evaluating the artistic merit content of every artistic and cultural organization that’s an applicant here and saying, ‘If you say the word Jesus in a Christmas program, you cannot receive funding,’” Stevens said. “So I don’t understand the level, the threshold of legal review that this event is receiving versus the rest.”

PARC tax dollars have historically funded Christmas concerts in American Fork where religious pieces are performed or played. Past grants have supported productions like “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and the annual Steel Days art show has accepted and displayed artwork with overtly religious themes, all without triggering the same constitutional review. None of those applicants faced mid-cycle opinions from the city attorney.

Nothing in the rulebook covers this

The PARC Tax Policies and Procedures, in both the 2023 version and the February 2026 amendments, contain no language about religious content, constitutional limitations on funding faith-adjacent events, or any standard for evaluating the religious character of a cultural organization’s programming. The published criteria cover nonprofit status, qualifying operating expenses, arts and culture definitions, and funding priorities.

Nowhere do the policies mention the Establishment Clause. Nowhere do they mention the No Aid Clause of the Utah Constitution. There is no published framework that would have put any applicant on notice that the religious character of their programming could disqualify, or partially disqualify, a funding request.

Stevens raised exactly that point. “There’s a big question on why this concern keeps being raised, but not allowing us to actually address the merits of the legal arguments,” he said.

Ohio watched this movie last year

American Fork isn’t the first U.S. municipality to fumble this particular legal question. In October 2025, the city of Pataskala, Ohio denied local resident Susan Conley’s permit to set up a live nativity scene at a holiday-themed farmers market, allowing Santa Claus and other Christmas displays while singling out the religious content. First Liberty Institute fired off a demand letter arguing the move violated both the U.S. and Ohio constitutions. Within days, Pataskala reversed course, allowing the nativity with a simple disclaimer that the city wasn’t officially endorsing it.

The lesson from Pataskala wasn’t that nativity scenes are unproblematic, it’s that selectively applying constitutional standards to religious expression, while waving through everything else at the same event, creates its own legal exposure. Singling out one applicant, or one display, tends to invite the very litigation officials are trying to avoid.

Committee navigates around the controversy

The board ultimately chose not to financially penalize the Harrington Center for a legal dispute it had no hand in creating. After discussion, members landed on a solution:

recommend $25,000 to Living Bethlehem, with language limiting those funds to the secular components, the Christmas market and winter community stage. To offset the portion the city attorney flagged, the board increased the Harrington Center’s Fork Fest allocation by $10,000, a separate event large enough to absorb the shift without disrupting the organization’s overall programming.

Board Chair Scott Okelberry framed the workaround plainly. “The big goal is that the community likes the event. We generally support it,” he said. “The attorney says we shouldn’t use public funds for the religious side. Spencer can debate that with her separately, and that’s fine.”

One board member said she didn’t want to risk losing the event to another city. “I would hate to have them think they have to take it to another city because we’re being sticklers about it,” she said. “I think it’s a benefit for this community.”

The vote to approve the full recommendations passed without dissent.

Questions that remain

What the committee could not resolve, and what the workaround cannot paper over, is a set of process failures with real consequences.

The city attorney’s opinion arrived mid-cycle, after Harrington had already completed the published application process in full. No policy put them on notice. No rubric warned them their programming might be evaluated on constitutional grounds. And the attorney never reached out to the organization directly, never attended the event, and never reviewed the scripted content of the reenactment before rendering a judgment about its religious character.
That’s not a small thing. The PARC grant process runs on clear, published criteria. Applicants invest time and resources preparing proposals against those criteria. Introducing a constitutional standard that exists nowhere in the published policies, applied to one applicant at the 11th hour based on a description of the event rather than direct knowledge of it, raises legitimate due process questions the board acknowledged but was not positioned to answer.

The committee did right by the Harrington Center in the final allocation. But the underlying question remains heading into the city council’s review: Why does Harrington keep facing a legal standard no other applicant encounters, and who gets to decide when that standard applies?

Rob Shelton | American Fork Citizen

American Fork City has launched a free online utility dashboard giving residents a first-ever look at their pressurized irrigation usage, and the timing couldn’t be more critical. A historic snowpack collapse is threatening the city’s water supply just as state law pushes cities toward metered irrigation rates.

The dashboard is designed to get residents ahead of the change, not blindsided by it.

State law is driving the change

Metering pressurized irrigation and adopting metered rates isn’t a local policy choice, it’s a Utah State mandate. In 2022, the legislature passed HB 242, followed by SB 251 in 2023. Together, those bills produced Utah Code 73-10-34, which requires that all secondary pressurized connections across the state be metered by Jan. 1, 2030.

The law also requires that city rate structures account for three things: revenue stability, water conservation and cost of service. According to the Utah Division of Water Resources, hundreds of thousands of residential connections in Utah rely on secondary water for outdoor irrigation. Historically, most of those connections have been unmetered.

That matters because meters work. Research shows customers use less water when they pay based on actual consumption rather than a flat fee. Unmetered systems make it nearly impossible to track or reduce waste.

Why American Fork isn’t waiting until 2030

Although the state deadline is 2030, American Fork is moving sooner — for two reasons: drought and rising costs.

With 2026 shaping up to be one of the driest years on record, encouraging conservation is urgent. At the same time, material and construction costs have driven up what it takes to run and maintain the city’s irrigation system. Rate adjustments were already necessary to cover those costs, so city officials determined it made sense to complete the metered rate study and launch the new structure at the same time rather than asking residents to absorb two separate transitions.

How the new rate structure works

Residents will pay in two parts: a year-round base rate and a seasonal usage rate that runs April through October.

The base rate covers ongoing costs of operating and maintaining the PI system — costs that don’t stop when the water does. The seasonal usage rate is layered on top and is specifically designed to encourage conservation, as required by state law.

City council and staff have been working with water engineers to develop a tiered rate system that balances covering operational costs with rewarding conservation. What’s currently visible in the dashboard reflects proposed rates for 2026 through 2030. Those rates are not yet in effect and won’t impact any PI bill until the council formally votes to adopt them.

“The American Fork city council is currently discussing the best timeline for implementing these rates,” according to city communications. “They are weighing both the urgency of conservation and the need to fund system improvements against the desire to give residents time to learn and understand how the rate changes will impact them.”

The city will notify residents once a date is set for the approval vote.

Will my rates go up?

Probably, but not necessarily by as much as you might fear, and it depends heavily on how much PI water you use.

The new rate structure has two objectives: cover operational costs and reduce overwatering. On the first point, the city expects most bills to increase at least somewhat. On the second, residents who already use PI water conservatively should see little to no additional cost related to the conservation component.

The city is also planning for annual PI rate increases over the next five years, with the percentage of increase getting smaller each year. The adjustments are needed to fund essential repairs and system improvements planned over the next decade. Construction, labor and material costs continue to rise, and the rate structure is intended to keep pace with those realities.

How the dashboard helps

The utility portal lets residents see exactly where they stand before any rate takes effect. Accessing it takes about a minute: visit americanfork.gov, navigate to the utility billing section, and enter the phone number or email address on file with the city. The city sends a direct link to your inbox or phone.

From there, residents can view current and past bills, track culinary and pressurized irrigation water usage, and see how the proposed PI rate changes would affect their specific bill based on their 2025 consumption data. That last feature is the point, not an estimate, but a projection built from your own meter.

Council votes on irrigation share agreements

On March 24, the city council took formal action on a related matter that has frustrated some residents for years: a resolution governing shareholder discount agreements and long-term rental agreements for American Fork Irrigation company shares.

The vote was 4-0, with Council Member Ernie John absent. The resolution draws a clear line going forward: new shareholder agreements will no longer carry the same provisions that older agreements have held, but the council was equally clear that anyone already in the process would be protected.

City Attorney Heather Schriever read the protective language directly into the record before the motion.

“Any party that has initiated contract negotiations with either the city or the canal company before March 24th, 2026; those negotiations will be honored, completed, and finalized if agreed to by all parties,” she said.

Council Member Ryan Hunter, who acknowledged his own family is caught up in the same situation, made the motion and pushed to make the grandfathering provision explicit before the vote.

“I just want to make sure that we’re maintaining the integrity of the commitments that have been made for a couple decades now,” Hunter said. “If that’s the case, then I’m happy to make that motion.”

Mayor Brad Frost confirmed it was.

“Yes, that is the case,” Frost said. “Any agreements that are in place or any that have been in process, we will honor all of those agreements.” He noted the irrigation system has been in operation for 19 years, meaning several agreements have accumulated over that time.

A drought year unlike any other

The dashboard launch comes against a water supply backdrop that city leaders described at a March 31 work session as the worst in memory.

American Fork City water manager Jay detailed the numbers: the Provo River water allocation drawn through the Murdoch canal pipeline came in at just 50% this year, down from 100% in each of the past two years. That’s roughly 750 acre feet of water the city won’t receive. The American Fork River, which normally drives 65 to 70% of PI demand in a typical year, is already running low after one of the fastest snowpack collapses in the city’s 45 years of records.

Council Member Ernie John, who also oversees water operations with American Fork Irrgigation Company, said he’d never seen anything like it.

“In the 24 years that I’ve been doing this with Jay, we’ve never seen a year like this,” John said. “We were at 96% of year-to-date snow pack average on February 26. As of yesterday, we dropped to zero.”

Water rights prevent the city from capturing the early runoff — that water has to move downstream to Utah Lake. Running wells around the clock will help fill the gap, but staff estimates well electricity costs could hit $100,000 this summer if full operation continues.

Rob Shelton | American Fork Citizen

American Fork residents could see culinary water bills rise this summer for the first time in seven years. City staff recommend a one-time 12% increase for the fiscal year 2027 budget. Officials say it is overdue, citing rising infrastructure costs and the lack of a rate adjustment since 2019.

The proposal was presented at a March 17 city council work session and included in the city’s tentative budget released on May 6.

Culinary rates: the case for 12%

Finance Director Anna Montoya presented the numbers. The culinary water fund supports pipelines, wells, and treatment facilities. These deliver water to every home and business in American Fork. The fund is restricted: money that comes in stays in and is used only for the water system.

“We are recommending an increase based on our study,” Montoya said. “We are in need of some additional funding in our water fund.”

Council Member Staci Carroll noticed the gap while reviewing a fund trend chart and asked whether 2019 was the last rate hike. Montoya confirmed it.

“We have not raised water rates since then,” Montoya said. “It’s been quite a few years.”

The culinary fund faces substantial capital obligations. Next year’s projects include water line reconstruction on 100 East, 100 West, 200 West, 300 West, 600 West, and 700 North. Well rehabilitation is also planned. The 36-inch water line, completed in 2025, was among the most expensive recent projects. System depreciation is about $440,000 annually, regardless of new work.

Storm drain up, sewer down — net effect near zero

Staff proposed a $2 increase to the storm drain fee, supported by a rate study showing the fund needs additional revenue for capital projects. To offset the impact, Montoya recommended lowering the city’s sewer rate by $2 at the same time.

The math is intentional. Both are restricted funds that can’t share revenue. Offsets mean most residents would see little net change on their total utility bill from these two line items combined.

Montoya was direct about why the funds can’t simply borrow from each other.

“These are restricted funds,” she explained. “Revenue from water stays in the water fund. We can’t use it for another utility.”

Council Member Clark Taylor appreciated the transparency but wanted to ensure the sewer reduction wouldn’t cause future problems.

“I like giving back and absorbing some of this with the fund balance,” Taylor said, “but what about next year? Will we catch up and see even higher rates?”

Montoya said she’s comfortable with the sewer reduction, given the fund’s surplus over the past five to six years, and wouldn’t propose anything she’s not confident in. “I wouldn’t come back unless I felt comfortable absorbing this,” she said.

Sanitation fees held flat

Garbage and recycling contracts are increasing; city agreements limit increases to the lesser of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 3.5%. American Fork is absorbing these costs rather than passing them on to residents.

Recycling costs will increase by $1 per month under the contract terms. Instead of billing that through, Montoya recommended drawing on the sanitation fund balance to hold fees flat. As a result, there will be no change to resident garbage or recycling bills in the coming fiscal year.

What’s next

The city’s budget process runs through June. Staff presented a tentative budget at a May 6 public hearing. The final adoption vote is expected in June. If approved, the changes to the culinary water and storm drain fees would take effect at the start of the new fiscal year. As outlined in the 2027 Tentative Budget, the city is absorbing $6.46 in third-party utility fee increases: $5.46 for the Timpanogos sewer fee and $1 for garbage/recycling fees.

Pressurized irrigation rates will be addressed separately once the rate study wraps and the council settles on an implementation date.

Rob Shelton | American Fork Citizen

The legal ordeal is over for Harry and Verna Gammon.

American Fork City formally dropped all charges against the couple on May 6, the very day their trial was set to begin. City Administrator David Bunker personally delivered the news to the Gammons on May 1.

Council members Clark Taylor and Tim Holley had both advocated directly with city administration in the days leading up to the trial date, and their push, combined with growing public attention, accelerated what the city says was always its preference.

“The city’s priority remains observance and resolution, not punitive action,” American Fork City said in an official statement released May 4, two days before the scheduled court date.

Harry Gammon, 90, said he and his wife are very grateful. “I want to thank the city for dropping the charges,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a more positive relationship with the city going forward.”

The case drew sharp public criticism after the American Fork Citizen reported that the Gammons had planted seven miniature flowering cherry trees in their parking strip because of information from a document they found on what they believed was the city’s website.

A Class C misdemeanor citation followed, along with the prospect of up to 90 days in jail or a $1,800 fine. The couple spent nearly $1,000 on attorney fees before the charges were dropped.

City officials said the code enforcement officer worked diligently and patiently with the couple for 5 months before a citation was issued.

According to the city’s official statement, the case began in September 2025, when American Fork received an anonymous complaint that trees had been planted in a residential parking strip that didn’t meet current code requirements.

The city updated parking strip regulations in 2024 to address longstanding problems with tree roots damaging sidewalks and public infrastructure, and to manage limbs overhanging the public right-of-way. The updated code prohibits planting new trees in parking strips that are less than eight feet wide.

On the first visit with the homeowner, the city’s statement notes, the homeowner indicated the trees had been planted by their landscaper, who “should have known about the ordinance.” The Gammons told code enforcement they would look into coming into compliance.

On Oct. 8, 2025, the Gammons sent a formal letter to city officials. Harry hand-delivered it to the front desk of City Hall. To this day, it remains unaccounted for, and the city’s statement notes that no one on the Beautification Committee reported receiving it.

The Gammons had been clear about the document they found on the city’s website. In their October letter, they wrote: “When planning our landscaping, we consulted the city’s website for guidance and reviewed the ordinance that was publicly available at the time. Based on that information, our trees complied fully with city regulations.” They added, “Only after being informed of this new ordinance did we go hunting and discover, after some searching, that an updated ordinance existed, but it wasn’t easy to find. If the older version is still what appears first online, many residents could easily be misled, though no fault of their own.”

Even without a response from the city, the code enforcement officer chose not to act at the October follow-up visit, giving the Gammons additional time to find a solution.

By mid-December, during another follow-up visit, the Gammons showed code enforcement the document they had from the city’s website listing the types of trees allowed and said, based on that information, they were in compliance.

Here is where the city and the Gammons see things very differently.

The city’s statement describes the document as a 25-year-old PDF created by a former Beautification Committee, “not part of the City’s official website, adopted code, or online code portal,” the statement said, noting it was only accessible through external search results. The city said it was previously unaware that the document remained findable online and has since removed it.

But the URL the Gammons accessed, americanfork.gov/DocumentCenter/View/516, uses the city’s domain name and resides within the city’s Document Center. Whether that makes it an official city document is a distinction the city has drawn clearly; whether residents accessing a document at americanfork.gov could reasonably be expected to draw that same distinction is a harder question.

According to the official city minutes on November 27, 2001, “Beautification Committee members worked with Brook Lee of the State Forestry Division and Kevin Bennett, our City Attorney, to develop acceptable guidelines that would motivate citizens to participate in proper planting and maintenance of trees in park strips. The “Street Tree Selection Guide” was published this summer, and copies were placed at City Hall, Public Works, and the Library so residents would have easy access to the information. The guide was also included on the City website for reference. We received many positive comments about the Guide and might expand to offer it through nurseries, realtors and other useful locations next year.”

With no resolution reached and the trees still in place, code enforcement issued a formal citation on Jan. 16, 2026. The city expressed support for the officer involved, noting he had extended multiple opportunities for compliance over five months. “Ultimately,” the statement read, “the property owners decided not to remove the trees, and the code enforcement officer was required to cite the property owner for non-compliance.”

In the May 4 statement, the city wrote, “Even though the document cited by the homeowner was not on any of the city’s webpages or an official document of the city,” the statement said, “the city is willing to work in good faith with the homeowner to clear up the misunderstanding, including efforts to dismiss the citation.”

That effort concluded May 6 when the charges were formally dropped.

The fate of the seven cherry trees remains unresolved. They are still considered non-compliant under the current city code, and the city says it will continue working with the Gammons to find a mutually agreeable outcome.

The city statement mentioned the city council has committed to reviewing the existing parking strip ordinance, weighing residents’ desire for trees against the city’s responsibility to protect public infrastructure and manage liability.

The case exposed a gap between how residents search for city information and what the city considers authoritative. American Fork is now encouraging residents to go directly to americanfork.gov/trees under the “Recommended Trees” section. Residents with questions can email [email protected], call 801-763-3000 during business hours, or use Yoppify, the chatbot on the city’s website, where, the city notes, a real person answers every message.

Rob Shelton | American Fork Citizen

The process of rewriting American Fork’s municipal code is heading back to square one — at least in part. During a March 31 work session, it was revealed that a consultant hired earlier to modernize the city’s development regulations had drifted well beyond the City Council’s intentions. As a result, the Council directed that many proposed changes be stripped back to align with the current code.

While the March 31 work session produced no vote or public comment, it clarified just how far the code rewrite had drifted from its purpose. Residents preparing for the May public comment period must still rely on the same draft presented at February’s Planning Commission hearing—no new draft has been published.

What the rewrite was supposed to do

The overall consensus among city leaders and residents is that American Fork’s municipal code is overdue for an overhaul. Some sections date to the 1980s. References to building standards long since replaced by state adoption of the International Building Code remain embedded in the document. Definitions for terms used daily in planning decisions are absent entirely.

“The main point at the beginning of the project was just trying to bring our code into modern times,” O’Brien said. “It’s from the 80s. None of our planning staff were even born when some of the sections of the code were written.”

Mayor Brad Frost said the main goal was to make the code understandable to those without technical backgrounds. It should clearly communicate requirements to anyone building or starting a project.

Council Member Clark Taylor put it similarly: the layman should be able to read it as American Fork residents can the city’s transit-oriented development code. “What we intended when we went in should be legible to anyone,” he said.

Where things shifted

Code consultant and former City Attorney, Cherylyn Egner, opened the March 31 discussion by asking the council a pointed question: What exactly do you want from this rewrite?

“I know that seems like a silly question to be asking now,” she said, “but it seems like there’s been some different perspectives that have been brought forward.”

Egner explained that the original scope included not just reorganization, but modest alignment with neighboring communities’ standards — setbacks, building heights and similar technical benchmarks. American Fork’s side-yard setbacks, for example, sit at 8 feet. Most neighboring cities require 10. The draft code reflected that shift.

The February hearing shifted the situation: residents firmly opposed any perceived changes to residential standards, prompting the council to respond decisively—reorganize and clarify, but keep the numbers unchanged.

“Sounds like the city likes what it has, as far as the standards, setbacks, building heights, that type of stuff,” Egner said. “We just want to leave that alone for now.”

Taylor added an important distinction: if the council wants to revisit those standards in the future, the rewrite’s cleaner structure will make that easier — not harder. “We have what we have today,” Council Member Ernie John said. “If we make a change down the road, we go and change it here.”

What the rewrite has accomplished

Despite the course correction, both Egner and O’Brien said the rewrite has achieved meaningful housekeeping that the city has needed for years.

About 30 pages of outdated building code references have been removed — sections that referenced standards the state supplanted years ago. When the city formally adopts a new version of the International Building Code, those provisions will now update automatically rather than requiring separate city action.

Definitions have been added for terms the current code leaves undefined. “We use the word every single day,” O’Brien said of one such term. “What does it really mean? According to our code, it doesn’t even have a meaning.” Fragmented processes — commercial site plan review, for example, currently scattered across three sections of code with one dead end — have been consolidated into single, navigable pathways.

“It streamlines it a lot,” Egner said. “It’s going to make it more user-friendly — even developers struggled with the current code.”

Egner also noted that some changes flagged by engineering and development services staff as critical operational fixes would still move forward — things that have caused real-world problems in the field — but those would be clearly identified so council members know where the code departs from current practice.

What residents still can’t see

The most immediate concern for residents is what hasn’t been published. The city has not released an updated draft of the code rewrite since the February hearing. Those planning to engage during the public comment period ahead of the May 20 open house are, at this point, reviewing a document that the council has since directed to be significantly revised.

Council Member Carroll said the current code is difficult enough to navigate that meaningful public review requires a readable, organized version to exist first. “It’s super hard to have a logical conversation” with the existing structure, she said — which is precisely the problem the rewrite was meant to solve.

Egner said her team would work through the revisions, flagging state-mandated procedural changes — such as appeals processes and approval workflows — separately from any substantive policy choices. The goal is a clean document that makes clear what changed, what stayed and why, before it goes to the Planning Commission on April 15.

What comes next

On April 15, the Planning Commission reviewed the code rewrite, general plan, and zoning map. On May 20, a public open house will allow residents to review materials and speak with staff. The Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on June 17, and the City Council will vote on June 23.

Residents can contact the city at [email protected] or visit americanfork.gov with questions. As of now, the city has not published an updated draft of the code rewrite for public review.