Council hears drought outlook, settles on asking residents to cut lawn watering by a third
June 15, 2021, 4:00 p.m. · City Administration Building, 51 E. Main St.
In a work session, American Fork's water superintendent told the City Council residents had saved 276 million gallons of irrigation water compared with last year but the city would soon have to run its drinking-water wells around the clock to keep sprinklers going. Council members debated the governor's call for two-day watering, enforcement and a goal of ending the use of culinary water for irrigation, and agreed to keep the three-day schedule while asking for a 33% cut. They also reviewed about $250,000 in second-round PARC tax grants, including $100,000 for pickleball courts at Hindley Park.
From the approved minutes.
In brief
2 items came up for a decision or discussion: 2 discussed.
The agenda records 6 dollar amounts, the largest $100,000.
2 items here are tracked in the city's development tracker.
This write-up links 2 source documents.
6 members were present.
Residents raised funding for a second community adult choir, watering enforcement and neighbors who overwater, and sunday watering and religious objections.
The previous City Council work session meeting was on June 8, 2021: Council rejects apartment owner's bid for lower water and sewer rates, annexes 19 acres near 950 North
The next one was on June 22, 2021: Council adopts fiscal 2022 budget with no tax rate increase, hires investment adviser for city's $66 million in reserves
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| PARC Tax Advisory Board second-round allocations | Discussed |
| Drought water conservation plan for pressurized irrigation | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Parks
PARC Tax Advisory Board second-round allocations
Discussed
PARC board chair Brian Thompson presented a second round of about $250,000, money returned to the fund after the school district backed out of sharing junior high tennis/pickleball courts. The board stopped funding capital equipment and declined land purchases, saying land is the city's job. Councilmember Shelton, TAF's council liaison, raised funding for TAF's new auditioned Timpanogos Singers choir, which the board declined in favor of the established Timpanogos Chorale; TAF executive director Reggie Walker argued the area can support both. Formal approval came June 22.
- Grant$10,000 to Harrington Center for the Arts
- Grant$30,000 to Timpanogos Chorale
- Grant$17,720 to Friends of the American Fork Library
- Grant$50,000 to American Fork Parks and Recreation
- Grant$100,000 to American Fork Parks and Recreation
- Harrington Center: additional $10,000 (total $20,000) for an Eric Dowdle American Fork mural
- Timpanogos Chorale (now under the Harrington Center): $30,000
- Friends of the Library: $15,220 for a rotunda performing arts series and $2,500 for Board Books for Babies
- Parks and Recreation: $50,000 for Evergreen and Hunter park playgrounds; $100,000 for three pickleball courts at Hindley Park; plus park tables, benches and trash cans
- Not funded: Timpanogos Singers (TAF), Alpine Community Theater ($14,000 equipment request), Highland Arts Council ($20,000 bells request; based in Highland)
Item 2 · Roads and utilities
Drought water conservation plan for pressurized irrigation
Discussed
Water Superintendent Jay Brems said the city had used 3,091 acre-feet of secondary water since April 15, about 848 acre-feet (276 million gallons) less than the same period of 2020, but is drawing 60 acre-feet a day and will have to run culinary wells around the clock next month; the Central Utah Project banked water (about 400 extra acre-feet) is untouched. Councilmember Shelton questioned spending about $100,000 a year in electricity pumping culinary well water into the irrigation system; Public Works Director Scott Sensanbaugher recommended a policy goal of never using culinary water for irrigation once meters and the recycled water project (at least two years out) are in place. The council debated watering stages, a two-day schedule urged by the governor, a religious exemption for Sunday watering and part-time non-police enforcement (current fines: warning, then $50, $100, $200 and possible lockout). Consensus: keep the three-day schedule and ask residents to cut watering 33%.
- Budget$100,000
- Spring line now delivers about 2,300 gallons a minute, up from 1,600; spring supplies about half of culinary water
- City has seven water sources; river peaked at 17,000 gpm against 25,000 gpm night demand
- Northern Utah County Aquifer Council hired consultant Hansen Allen & Luce to study the aquifer
- Fox Hollow Golf Course is the only place the racetrack well can pump to
What residents said
Funding for a second community adult choirWatering enforcement and neighbors who overwaterSunday watering and religious objections
Reggie Walker, executive director of the Timpanogos Arts Foundation, asked the council to reconsider funding TAF's new semi-professional Timpanogos Singers, saying the area's growth can support a second adult choir. Wes Huggins, a new resident, praised the community and supported using non-police employees for watering enforcement.