Council debates charging irrigation shareholders half the base rate; leans toward shared-use path on 300 North
July 7, 2026, 4:00 p.m. · City Administration Conference Room, 51 E. Main St.
American Fork's council spent most of a 2½-hour work session on a proposed rewrite of the pressurized irrigation shareholder discount agreement that would, for the first time, have longtime irrigation-company shareholders pay half of the new monthly base rate. Several council members, led by Ryan Hunter, questioned charging shareholders who already give the city half their water, and Mayor Bradley Frost sent the proposal back for further work before a formal vote. Members also signaled a preference for a shared-use path that keeps on-street parking on 300 North, and reviewed new park strip tree standards.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Pressurized irrigation shareholder discount agreement | Discussed |
| Street cross-sections, bike lanes and trails (300 North) | Discussed |
| Park strip tree standards | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Taxes and fees
Pressurized irrigation shareholder discount agreement
Discussed
City Administrator David Bunker presented revisions to the 2008-era shareholder discount agreement under which irrigation-company shareholders dedicate half their water (1 acre-foot per share) to the city for conveyance. The revisions put that 50/50 split in writing, would have shareholders pay one-half of the new square-footage-based pressurized irrigation base rate (with extra shares able to reduce it further or raise their Tier 1 allocation), and would tie an assigned share permanently to the property receiving the discount. The changes accompany state-mandated metering (HB 242, meters required by 2030, paid for with grants) and a planned new rate structure in January after a Bowen Collins & Associates study recommended about a 12% rate increase. Resident Royce Shelley and Councilmember Ryan Hunter argued shareholders who stay within their allocation should not pay a base rate on top of donating water; Councilmember Ernie John estimated the half base rate at about $20 a month ($240 a year) versus about $480 for a comparable non-shareholder. Councilmember Clark Taylor floated a per-share assessment instead. Mayor Frost said more work was needed and the item should return as an action item with public comment; John said the irrigation board had postponed its own vote until after the council acts.
- Shareholders dedicate 1 acre-foot per share (half a share's 2 acre-feet) to the city
- Proposed: shareholders pay 50% of standard base rate
- Rate study recommended ~12% increase; new rate structure planned for January
- No new shareholder-discount allocations accepted since a March policy change
- Both the City Council and the irrigation company board must approve any amendment
Item 2 · Roads and utilities
Street cross-sections, bike lanes and trails (300 North)
Discussed
Public Works Director Sam Kelly and City Engineer Ben Hunter asked for direction on how to fit the Bicycle Master Plan's 300 North commuter route into 40- to 44-foot residential streets as the Capital Improvement Plan is drafted. Options included buffered bike lanes (eliminating parking), a 100 West-style layout with parking on one side, or a shared-use path behind the curb replacing park strips. Councilmember Taylor said removing parking on 300 North was not realistic; members generally favored a 10- to 12-foot shared-use path on the north side from about 400 East to 700 East that preserves on-street parking, and asked staff to keep evaluating 100 North, Center Street and Fleming Drive. Staff said 300 North reconstruction would follow the 100 West project.
- Posted speed: 30 mph east of 100 East, 25 mph west
- MAG-funded paths would need to be about 10-12 feet wide
- No design selected; direction only
Item 3 · Parks
Park strip tree standards
Discussed
City arborist Brady McNaughton proposed tree-size rules based on park strip width: no trees in strips under 4 feet, small trees in 4- to 6-foot strips, medium in 6- to 8-foot, large only in strips over 8 feet, plus an approved list and a prohibited list (e.g., Siberian elm, tree-of-heaven, cottonwood, silver maple; evergreens unsuitable). Council members asked for outreach through the Beautification Committee, homeowner associations and builders, and Councilmember Holley supported letting the city recover costs when owners ignore hazard-tree notices. The rules later came back as a rewrite of city code Chapter 12.16.
- Approved tree list to be kept by the city forester
- Proposed enforcement: citation after notice; owner pays for emergency work
What residents said
Resident Royce Shelley, an irrigation shareholder with 2.13 shares on a 0.49-acre lot, argued the proposed half base rate would make shareholders pay more than non-shareholders to use water they own, since they already contribute half their water to the city.