PARC tax board pushes back on proposed 70-30 parks-arts split
November 15, 2022, 4:00 p.m. · American Fork City Hall, 31 N. Church St.
American Fork's PARC tax advisory board objected to a city proposal to split PARC tax money 70% for parks and recreation and 30% for arts and culture, saying it would effectively dissolve the board's role. Most council members favored keeping project-by-project review. Staff also outlined the state-mandated FrontRunner Station Area Plan, funded with a $75,000 MAG technical-assistance grant, and defended the city's development review process.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| PARC tax funding policies | Discussed |
| Station Area Plan for FrontRunner station | Discussed |
| Development review process workflow | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Parks
PARC tax funding policies
Discussed
Assistant City Administrator Camden Bird proposed staggering board terms, defining qualifying operating expenses, and having the PARC board focus on non-city arts and culture projects with a 70% parks/recreation, 30% arts/culture split, based on a survey. Board members objected. Councilmembers Taylor and Barnes favored leaving the process as is; Shelton suggested a small share for maintenance staff; Hunter wanted more research. The mayor said three new board members would be appointed to improve continuity.
- Proposed split: 70% parks and recreation / 30% arts and culture
Item 2 · General plan
Station Area Plan for FrontRunner station
Discussed
City Planner Patrick O'Brien said state law requires a station area plan covering a half mile around the FrontRunner station, certified by MAG, by Dec. 31, 2025, or sooner if a qualifying land use application arrives (one is coming). The city is using a $75,000 MAG technical-assistance grant with a $10,000 city match; the consultant RFP closed Nov. 30. Councilmember Shelton suggested including the flyover as a connectivity strategy.
- Grant$75,000 to Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG)
- Budget$10,000
- MAG technical assistance grant: $75,000
- City match: $10,000
Item 3 · Development
Development review process workflow
Discussed
O'Brien walked through the concept, submission, review and approval steps, saying a project should take about three months if applicants submit code-compliant plans. Staff said delays usually come from incomplete or non-compliant submissions. Councilmember Shelton proposed a committee to review the process alongside a code rewrite; the mayor agreed to form one.
What residents said
PARC tax funding splitDevelopment review delays
PARC board members Bryan Thompson and Laurel Shelley opposed the 70/30 split, calling the 3-year-old survey behind it unreliable and saying PARC funds should not become an extension of the city budget. Developer John Woffinden urged a simpler review process.