OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Vermillion City Council Meeting – March 16, 2026

City Council — Monday, March 16, 2026
BodyVermillion, South Dakota
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, March 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 46:24

Transcript — Verbatim
0:17

The Vermillion City Council meeting scheduled for uh Monday, March 16th at 6 p.m.

0:23

will come to order.

0:24

Alex, what do you call roll?

0:26

Taller, Lieber, Price, Holland, Genoine, Helwig, Cheeseman, Murrah, Mayor Cole.

0:34

Here, you stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:38

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:14

Move approving.

1:14

Motion approved by Councillor Treesman.

1:16

Is there a second?

1:17

Second.

1:18

Second by Councillor Genoine.

1:19

Any other discussion on the minutes?

1:21

All in favor say aye.

1:23

Aye.

1:23

Opposed say nay.

1:27

Adoption of the agenda.

1:28

Is everyone had a chance to review the agenda?

1:30

If so, are there any changes to the agenda or motion to adopt?

1:35

Approval the agenda.

1:36

Motion approved the agenda by Councillor Price.

1:38

Is there a second?

1:39

Second by Councillor Toller in your discussion.

1:42

All in favor of the agenda to be adopted, say aye.

1:45

Aye.

1:45

Aye.

1:46

Opposed say nay.

1:48

Agenda is hereby adopted.

1:49

For visitors to be heard.

1:51

Under visitors to be heard, any person uh in public who wishes to speak, uh please raise your hand and come to the podium and state your name and address.

2:00

For any items not on the agenda, members of the public may speak under visitors to be heard on any topic not on the agenda.

2:05

Remarks are limited to five minutes and no decision will be made at this time.

2:09

On any agenda item, public testimony will be taken at the beginning of each agenda item after the subject has been announced by the mayor and explained by staff.

2:17

Any citizen who wishes may speak one time for five minutes on each agenda item and then public testimony will be closed given to the governing body.

2:26

At this point, only city council and staff may discuss the agenda item unless there is unanimous consent from the council and questions, however, from council members may be directed to the public through the presiding officer at any time.

2:39

For visitors to be heard, I know we have a proclamation.

2:42

Uh before that, is there any other visitors to be heard today for anything not on the agenda?

2:49

Seeing none, Mr.

2:50

Mandernach, if you want to go ahead and thank you.

3:05

So uh yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and read this proclamation on the National Transgender Day of Visibility.

3:11

Whereas the Vermilion Human Relations Commission recognizes the importance of promoting equality, acceptance, and understanding within our diverse community.

3:22

And whereas on March 31st of each year, the worldwide LGBTQ plus community comes together to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces.

3:38

And whereas the International Transgender Day of Visibility was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall as a day when people could refocus on celebrating the lives of transgender people, empowering them to live authentically, while still acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible.

4:02

And whereas it is still necessary for trans people to be seen through authentic, diverse, and accurate stories, which reflect the actual lived experiences of trans people, both for themselves and for those people who believe they never met a trans person.

4:21

Whereas it is incumbent upon us as a community to celebrate all members of our community and to commit to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression.

4:36

And whereas the Vermilion Human Relations Commission firmly believes in fostering a community that welcomes, values, and accepts all people.

4:45

Now therefore, we the Vermilion Human Relations Commission do hereby proclaim March 31st, 2026 as National Transgender Day of Visibility and Vermilion.

5:00

Thank you.

5:01

Thank you, Mr.

5:02

Manor.

5:04

Are there any other visitors to be heard today?

5:07

Seeing none, uh, we do have a public hearing.

5:10

Uh we request for a variance to decree decrease the required set yard setback along the north side of the property from eight feet to seven feet.

5:21

Uh, this is to expand a single car garage from to a single from a single to a double at 610 Catalina.

5:27

Jose.

5:28

Thank you.

5:29

Uh the city received a petition requesting to uh uh reduced the site yard setback on the north side of the property as you mentioned from eight feet to seven feet.

5:38

Uh again, this is this would be to allow for the construction of uh uh two-car uh garage uh in the replacing the existing one stall garage at that location.

5:48

Uh the property is uh zone R1 residential.

5:52

Uh this uh zoning district does allow for garages to be constructed as part of uh residential structure, which uh would apply in this instance.

6:00

Um the request was made by the owner, uh Mr.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████████38%
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████29%
Arts And Culture████████████████16%
Public Safety██████████10%
Public Engagement███████7%
Summary of Proceedings

Vermillion City Council Meeting – March 16, 2026

The Vermillion City Council met on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting included a proclamation for Transgender Day of Visibility, two public hearings (a variance request and a special noise permit), the annual library report, appointments to the consolidated board of equalization, and a first reading of an ordinance amending Planning and Zoning Commission terms.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of minutes from the previous meeting.
  • Adoption of the agenda.
  • Approval of the consent agenda: invoices payable (with Mayor Cole and Councilor Holland abstaining from item 7A), an amendment to the Blue Peak Cable Television Franchise Agreement, and appointment of Shane Greases as director and Eric McPherson as alternate director to the Dakota Main STEM board.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Tracy Hummel (602 Catalina Avenue) spoke in opposition to the variance request at 610 Catalina, citing concerns about property value, precedent, emergency vehicle access, fire safety, and lack of demonstrated hardship. She noted her property has 12.6 inches from foundation to property line, limiting future expansion.
  • Thad Utech (owner of 610 Catalina) spoke in support of the variance, stating it is not an easement, that letters of support were received from neighbors to the south and across the street, and that a six-foot privacy fence already exists between the properties, mitigating any impact.

Discussion Items

  • Proclamation – National Transgender Day of Visibility: Mr. Mandernach read the proclamation declaring March 31, 2026, as National Transgender Day of Visibility in Vermillion, emphasizing equality and inclusion. No public comment.
  • Public Hearing – Variance Request (610 Catalina): The city received petitions to reduce the required side yard setback from 8 feet to 7 feet to expand a single-car garage to a double-car garage. Staff recommended approval. Two letters of opposition from neighbors were received. Council discussed the location of the fence, property lines, and emergency access. The owner clarified that the garage addition would be 10 feet from the property line currently, and the one-foot variance would not affect access because of the existing fence. The council voted to approve the variance.
  • Public Hearing – Special Noise Permit (No Kings Event): Vermillion Rising applied for a special permit to exceed permissible noise levels on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Radigan Platz. The event will include recorded music, a drum circle, and amplified sound. Staff recommended approval. The council approved the permit unanimously.
  • Annual Library Report: Dan presented the 2025 annual report. Key statistics: library visits increased 5% to over 68,000; physical circulation was 73,581 (up 2%); total physical and electronic usage was 98,484 (up 5%); 613 programs were attended by 9,756 participants (up 28%); 9,961 computer sessions and over 23,000 wireless sessions; summer reading program had 147 kids, 60 teens, and 88 adults reading nearly 225,000 minutes. The annual survey showed 98% of respondents rated the library as excellent or good. Councilor Helwig raised the possibility of free library cards for non-Clay County residents with children in the Vermillion School District. Dan noted the library board would need to decide, and that a $50 annual fee exists for non-residents. Council accepted the report.
  • Consolidated Board of Equalization Appointments: The council appointed Councilors Toller, Holland, and Hellwig (as alternate) to serve on the consolidated board of equalization for 2026, with the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 1552 (Planning and Zoning Commission Terms): The ordinance amends Title 3 of the city code to change the appointment cycle for the nine-member Planning and Zoning Commission from a 4/5 split to a 3-3-3 rotation over five years. Current members’ terms will not be shortened. A typo (replacing “chapter” with “ordinance”) was noted. The motion to advance the ordinance to a second reading carried.

Key Outcomes

  • Variance Request (610 Catalina): Approved (requires two-thirds majority; motion passed despite one nay vote).
  • Special Noise Permit (No Kings Event): Approved unanimously.
  • Annual Library Report: Accepted as information.
  • Consolidated Board of Equalization Appointments: Councilors Toller, Holland, and Hellwig appointed.
  • Ordinance 1552: Advanced to second reading with a typo correction.
  • City Manager’s Report: Upcoming meetings and events noted, including pool hours on March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day.
  • Adjournment: Motion by Councilor Morris, second by Councilor Lieber; meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

The Vermillion City Council meeting scheduled for uh Monday, March 16th at 6 p.m. will come to order. Alex, what do you call roll? Taller, Lieber, Price, Holland, Genoine, Helwig, Cheeseman, Murrah, Mayor Cole. Here, you stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Move approving. Motion approved by Councillor Treesman. Is there a second? Second. Second by Councillor Genoine. Any other discussion on the minutes? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. Adoption of the agenda. Is everyone had a chance to review the agenda? If so, are there any changes to the agenda or motion to adopt? Approval the agenda. Motion approved the agenda by Councillor Price. Is there a second? Second by Councillor Toller in your discussion. All in favor of the agenda to be adopted, say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. Agenda is hereby adopted. For visitors to be heard. Under visitors to be heard, any person uh in public who wishes to speak, uh please raise your hand and come to the podium and state your name and address. For any items not on the agenda, members of the public may speak under visitors to be heard on any topic not on the agenda. Remarks are limited to five minutes and no decision will be made at this time. On any agenda item, public testimony will be taken at the beginning of each agenda item after the subject has been announced by the mayor and explained by staff. Any citizen who wishes may speak one time for five minutes on each agenda item and then public testimony will be closed given to the governing body. At this point, only city council and staff may discuss the agenda item unless there is unanimous consent from the council and questions, however, from council members may be directed to the public through the presiding officer at any time. For visitors to be heard, I know we have a proclamation. Uh before that, is there any other visitors to be heard today for anything not on the agenda? Seeing none, Mr. Mandernach, if you want to go ahead and thank you. So uh yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and read this proclamation on the National Transgender Day of Visibility. Whereas the Vermilion Human Relations Commission recognizes the importance of promoting equality, acceptance, and understanding within our diverse community. And whereas on March 31st of each year, the worldwide LGBTQ plus community comes together to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces. And whereas the International Transgender Day of Visibility was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall as a day when people could refocus on celebrating the lives of transgender people, empowering them to live authentically, while still acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible. And whereas it is still necessary for trans people to be seen through authentic, diverse, and accurate stories, which reflect the actual lived experiences of trans people, both for themselves and for those people who believe they never met a trans person. Whereas it is incumbent upon us as a community to celebrate all members of our community and to commit to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression. And whereas the Vermilion Human Relations Commission firmly believes in fostering a community that welcomes, values, and accepts all people. Now therefore, we the Vermilion Human Relations Commission do hereby proclaim March 31st, 2026 as National Transgender Day of Visibility and Vermilion. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Manor. Are there any other visitors to be heard today?

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