A Message from the Mayor

As many of you may already know, the city will be seeking bids for public safety services this year. We currently receive our police services through a contract with American Fork Police Department and our fire and EMS services through an interlocal agreement with Lone Peak Public Safety District, which also provides services to Alpine and Highland. Because our contract with American Fork Police will expire in 2019, the City Council decided last year that it would be best to go through a bid process for all of our public safety services to make sure we understand all of the options available to us in order to determine the best course of action for our city. This is not to suggest that we are unhappy with either American Fork or Lone Peak. We receive exceptional service from both entities and appreciate the relationships we have built with those who serve our community.

Because of our location, we are in a unique situation in that we have a few neighboring cities that have expressed interest in partnering with our city for public safety services. In addition to neighboring cities, we also have the option of utilizing the county for fire and/or police. Other cities of our size may only have one or two options available to them, so we are fortunate that we have multiple options, all of which are highly qualified.

As we explore these options, the city officials and staff need to hear from residents. Public safety is our largest General Fund expense, and we are anticipating an increase for both fire and police services. With the growth that has come to our area, there has been an increase in the number of calls to dispatch for public safety services. As we review bids, the City Council will discuss items such as what level of police patrolling we want, and what levels of staffing we want for both fire and EMS in our city. I encourage you to share your feedback with us. For a more detailed explanation of this topic, please visit my blog at: www.jenneyrees.com.

Mayor Jenney Rees
March 2018