Cedar Hills approved its American Fork public safety contract twice

Cedar Hills contracts with neighboring American Fork for police and fire services. This year both city councils voted to renew the agreement, and Cedar Hills' minutes record a disagreement over indemnification and insurance terms before the final vote. The Ledger has not obtained the signed agreement. ^[1][2][3]

The March approvals

At the March 10, 2026 Cedar Hills meeting, Goodwin said the existing agreement runs through 2029 with a 2% annual increase, while costs had risen faster, according to the minutes. The city proposed a 5% adjustment for fiscal 2026 and later increases "tied to CPI + 2% (estimated 4–6% per year)," along with monthly operational performance reports. ^[1]

Goodwin said American Fork's counteroffer was the Consumer Price Index plus 2% and a one-time adjustment making fiscal 2026 costs 5% higher than fiscal 2025. He also said, "We had already amended the original agreement to include an indemnification clause which would remain." ^[1]

Council Member Erika Price moved to approve Resolution No. 03-10-2026A adopting the agreement and authorizing the mayor to sign, "subject to the following changes, which is to allow the Mayor and Staff the ability to continue negotiations of the agreement terms with American Fork City." The motion passed 5–0. ^[1]

The same night, the council approved a budget amendment for "an additional $76,000 cost" in the contract and raised the monthly public safety fee from $10.00 to $12.30, according to the minutes. ^[1]

On March 24, the American Fork City Council voted 4–0, with Council Member Ernie John absent, to approve the agreement and authorize the city to sign. Mayor Bradley J. Frost noted that Cedar Hills had already passed it, according to the minutes. ^[2]

The May vote

At a May 15 special meeting, Goodwin said American Fork had adopted the agreement on March 24 without red-lined changes Cedar Hills sent afterward. Those changes covered indemnification and a provision naming Cedar Hills as an additional insured on American Fork's insurance, according to the minutes. ^[3]

Goodwin said American Fork asked that the agreement be signed without those changes by the end of May, and said it would otherwise send a termination notice effective June 30, 2027, according to the minutes. ^[3]

After a closed session on pending or reasonably imminent litigation, the council unanimously approved Resolution No. 05-15-2026A, authorizing Mayor Denise Andersen to execute a public safety services agreement. ^[3]

The agreement form in American Fork's March 24 packet is a presented version, with blank signature and date lines for both cities. Its section 8 has American Fork defend and indemnify Cedar Hills for claims arising from American Fork's negligence or performance and keep Cedar Hills listed as an additional insured, and has Cedar Hills indemnify American Fork for claims over its ordinances or its own negligence. Section 6 calls for a written operational report every month. ^[5]

That packet language looks like the changes the May 15 minutes say were left out of the version American Fork adopted. The records reviewed do not show which text was finally adopted or signed, whether the packet was later replaced, or whether the two descriptions refer to the same changes. The Ledger treats it as an open question about document versions, not a finding that either city or the minutes are wrong. ^[5][3]

The form's term runs five years from July 1, 2025, then renews automatically each July 1 unless either city gives notice 180 days ahead, for a period it describes as 10 years. Its baseline fire amount of $1,265,139 and police amount of $1,044,450 rise each July 1 by the national consumer price index plus 2 percentage points, beginning July 1, 2026. Its example uses a 2.7% index for 4.7%, and the Ledger has not seen invoices. The police section's last sentence refers to the fire amount, which looks like a drafting slip in the form. ^[5]

What it costs

The fiscal 2027 budget lists $1,332,000 for fire services and $1,100,000 for police services, a combined $2,432,000. Fiscal 2026 projected amounts are $1,265,139 and $1,044,450, and fiscal 2025 actual amounts were $1,199,184 and $990,000. ^[4]

The budget's highlights tie a $150,000 property tax increase to "American Fork public safety contract increases." ^[4]