City gets clean audit, hires Cowdell Law as prosecutor; rezone OK'd at 672 West 750 North
February 10, 2026, 7:00 p.m. · American Fork City Hall, 31 N. Church St.
Auditors Larson & Company gave the city clean opinions on its fiscal 2025 financial statements, federal grants and state compliance, and found no problems in PARC tax spending. The council rezoned 2.54 acres at 672 West 750 North from RA-1 to R1-9000 for a possible three-lot subdivision, amended PARC tax policies and hired Cowdell Law for criminal prosecution, ending a decades-long arrangement with another firm. Business owners and developers aired complaints about ADA parking, the AFEW1 project and proposed zoning changes.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Ratification of payments Jan. 21-Feb. 3, 2026, and purchases over $50,000 | Approved · 4-0 |
| Fiscal 2025 audited financial statements | Approved · 4-0 |
| PARC tax agreed-upon procedures review, fiscal 2025 | Approved · 4-0 |
| Scott zone change, 672 W. 750 North | Approved · 4-0 |
| PARC tax policy amendments | Approved · 4-0 |
| Criminal prosecution contract with Cowdell Law | Approved · 4-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item 2 · Presentation
Quality Library Award
No action
The library received the Utah State Library's excellence award for the fifth straight year.
Item Consent 4 · Budget
Ratification of payments Jan. 21-Feb. 3, 2026, and purchases over $50,000
Approved · 4-0
Routine consent ratification; itemized in packet.
Item 1 · Budget
Fiscal 2025 audited financial statements
Approved · 4-0
Khulene Gallo of Larson & Company presented unmodified (clean) opinions on the financial statements, the federal single audit and state compliance, with no findings or questioned costs.
- Auditor: Larson & Company
Item 2 · Parks
PARC tax agreed-upon procedures review, fiscal 2025
Approved · 4-0
Larson & Company found no issues with how grant recipients spent fiscal 2025 PARC tax money; prior-year control findings were fixed. Councilmember Hunter said more than $1.5 million in PARC grants will be awarded this year; misused funds must be returned.
- PARC awards this year: more than $1.5 million
Item 3 · Zoning
Scott zone change, 672 W. 750 North
Approved · 4-0
Rezoned about 2.54 acres from RA-1 residential agriculture to R1-9000 so the owner can keep the existing home and create two new lots, with frontage on 640 West. The surrounding area is R1-9000 with an R1-12,000 island. Councilmember John noted Mitchell Springs water (the Mitchell Springs Irrigation Company is 90% city-owned) runs through the property and asked that space be kept for a future trail and wetland; staff said easements would be secured at platting.
- Acres: 2.54
- RA-1 → R1-9000
- Mitchell Springs Irrigation Company: 90% owned by the city
Item 4 · Parks
PARC tax policy amendments
Approved · 4-0
Amended PARC tax policies and procedures as discussed in a council workshop.
Item 5 · Contract
Criminal prosecution contract with Cowdell Law
Approved · 4-0
Hired Cowdell Law for criminal prosecution services, replacing the firm that had handled the work for decades (Mayor Frost named former staff Casey Wright and Cherylyn Egner). The mayor said the new attorney is experienced in government and served on the Canyons School District board. Councilmember Hunter suggested bringing prosecution in-house soon. Contract amount not stated in minutes.
- ContractAmount not given to Cowdell Law
- Vendor: Cowdell Law
What residents said
ADA parking complianceUnequal treatment of AFEW1 vs. The Yard developmentsProposed zoning changes affecting businessesCommunity cats (TNVR)
Greg Hazard, owner of the Wells Fargo building and the former mortgage center, said an accessible stall sits in a drive aisle and a removed accessible stall at the courthouse/police station lot (54 stalls) has not been replaced, leaving the city out of ADA compliance, as a school for autistic students considers leasing his buildings. Chris (Chad) Christofferson and Jared Wolfgramm, for the AFEW1 project, said AFEW1 was required to build a roughly $1 million retaining wall and bear bond obligations while the neighboring The Yard AF development was not, cited unfinished sidewalks and power at The Yard, and asked whether outside influence, possibly from Alpine School District, played a role. Karen McCoy thanked the city for promoting trap-neuter-vaccinate-return for community cats. Elizabeth Phelon of Phelon Lakeland, Phelon Family LP and ESP Excavation said proposed zoning and city standards changes threaten her family's businesses and noted their facility supplies topsoil for city parks and the cemetery.