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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Vermillion City and School Candidate Forum – April 27, 2026

City Council — Monday, April 27, 2026

BodyVermillion, South Dakota

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, April 27, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:10:41

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

1:10

I'm the chamber manager of the VCBC and thank you very much for joining us today for this campaign, this candidate forum.

1:17

Um thank you also to the governmental affairs committee with the VCDC.

1:21

They are volunteers that help us organize this event.

1:24

And um one of our esteemed members, Matt Fairholm, will be here in the back to um pick up any questions that you might have handwritten that you would like to get to the moderator.

1:34

This committee has also put together some selected questions that the moderator will ask our candidates.

1:38

Um we may not get to everybody's question, but please submit them if you would like them read.

1:44

Um we are gonna start with our school board candidates, and we have um Dr.

1:49

Carrie Oyan here who is moderating us.

1:51

Thank you so much, Ms.

1:52

Oyan, and we will get started.

1:54

Um we have a timer and a program is in the back.

1:58

We also have some refreshments, so help yourself.

2:00

And I would also like to remind you, please silence your phones if you're able to.

2:04

Um take it away.

2:08

Wonderful.

2:09

Well, thank you so much.

2:10

Um good evening and welcome to everyone.

2:13

Um my name is Dr.

2:15

Carrie Oyan.

2:16

I am a program director and associate professor of school psychology here at the University of South Dakota.

2:22

Um, certainly care a lot about our community, and I'm excited to be here this evening.

2:26

Um, I'm gonna be the moderator for tonight's Vermillion City and School Candidate Forum.

2:32

Um, so we thank all the candidates that are able to be here.

2:34

We are trying to be as efficient as possible, so we'll start with the school board, then we'll head over to City Council and we'll end with the mayors.

2:43

Um what we're gonna do tonight is this forum is really designed to be able to provide voters with the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates themselves, seeking leadership roles in Vermilion City Government and the Vermilion School District.

2:57

Our goal tonight is to encourage informed decision making by offering a respectful space for candidates to share their perspectives, priorities, and qualifications.

3:07

This event is non-partisan.

3:09

It's not intended to endorse or oppose any candidate or position.

3:13

All candidates participating this evening have been invited on equal terms and will be given equal opportunities to speak.

3:20

We ask everyone's candidates and audience members alike to help maintain a respectful and constructive environment.

3:27

Civic engagement is strongest when we listen thoughtfully, disagree respectfully, and focused on the issues that matter to our community.

3:36

Before we begin, I will briefly review the format for our forum this evening so expectations are clear to everyone.

3:43

Um first, what we're going to do is have each candidate give a two-minute opening statement.

3:49

Um we also want everyone to know that um as the candidates participate, they will have equal time, so we will ask a question and then they will have two minutes to respond to that question.

4:00

The other thing to note is that we will rotate the order in which candidates are answering the questions to make sure to give an equal opportunity.

4:08

Questions have been prepared in advanced and selected by the moderator, but we will have opportunities out here in the audience.

4:15

If you two would like to ask a question, it sounds like you're to give those to Matt Fairholm, and then we will get them up to me.

4:21

Um again, please, audience members, uh, we are asking you to refrain from applause, cheering, or verbal reaction during candidate responses because we want to make sure that all candidates can be heard clearly and equally.

4:34

Um and again, as we conclude this time, I will say it now and I will say it later.

4:39

Um it's so important to engage in our civic duty to vote.

4:42

So keeping in mind that June 2nd is coming, and we want to make sure that everybody engages in that process.

4:49

All right.

4:50

So welcome first to our school board member candidates.

4:54

Um I know that we do have one candidate who is not here this evening, Bill to Williger.

5:00

But I want to make sure we have an opportunity to have Bill and Ryan introduce themselves.

5:03

So I'll have Ryan, you go first for two minutes, and then followed by Bill.

5:08

All right.

5:08

Thank you, Dr.

5:09

Owen.

5:09

Thank you, everyone for being here.

5:10

This is a pretty packed house.

5:12

This is good to see.

5:13

My name is Ryan Johnson.

5:14

I'm currently a member of the school board.

5:16

I was appointed last September to fill a vacancy, and now I'm running for a full term.

5:22

I've lived in South Dakota my entire life.

5:24

This is actually my second stint in Vermilion.

5:26

My wife and I first met here as students back in the early 2000s ish.

5:31

And after we moved around a little bit, we decided after we got married that we wanted to make our way back here eventually.

5:37

And we did that just in time for our daughter to start kindergarten.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Community Engagement██████████████████████████████████████38%

Public Engagement███████████11%

Economic Development███████████11%

Procedural████████8%

Affordable Housing██████6%

Personnel Matters████4%

Zoning And Land Use████4%

Energy Management████4%

Youth Programs███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Vermillion City and School Candidate Forum – April 27, 2026

On the evening of April 27, 2026, the Vermillion Chamber of Commerce and the VCDC Governmental Affairs Committee hosted a candidate forum at the University of South Dakota. The non‑partisan event, moderated by Dr. Carrie Oyan (USD program director), gave voters an opportunity to hear from candidates running for the school board, city council, and mayor. The election is scheduled for June 2, 2026.

School Board Candidates

Ryan Johnson (incumbent, appointed September 2025, seeking a full term) introduced himself as a USD IT director and Feeding Vermillion board member. He identified funding and enrollment dips as the most pressing challenges, stressed the need to listen to teachers and families, and linked achievement and attendance by making students feel safe and welcome.
Bill Ames (newcomer who moved to Vermillion in 2022) emphasized his IT background and business perspective. He cited technology (AI), budgeting, and the $800,000 opt‑out as key challenges. He advocated for outreach, local control, and leveraging USD resources to improve engagement and reduce chronic absenteeism.
A third candidate (Bill Williger) did not attend.

Audience question: One seat is open; two candidates (Ryan Johnson and Bill Ames) are running. (Philip was appointed and is not seeking that seat.)

On balancing respect for educators and parental concerns, Ryan Johnson said he would listen to both sides, while Bill Ames stressed fair and consistent policies that make sense to children.

City Council Candidates (Southeast Ward)

Three candidates presented: Jeff Gilbertson, Rich Holland, and Mary Redlin. David Lyas (unopposed) waved; Dr. Julia Hellwig (unopposed) had a statement read.

Jeff Gilbertson (born and raised in Vermillion, small‑business employee) acknowledged little policy experience but said he would rely on budgeting, listening, and studying ordinances. On ICE, he emphasized transparency. He sees the council’s role in economic growth as metering growth through zoning and infrastructure to avoid overspending. He supports regular communication with the county and handling criticism by being transparent and not taking it personally.
Rich Holland (engineer, 12 years on Vermillion council, 8 years in Lennox) brought 20 years of council experience. He stated that ICE should be monitored, and the council’s role in economic growth is to ensure businesses don’t burden utilities or citizens. He stressed continued communication with the county and a good working environment to retain staff.
Mary Redlin (recent transplant from Watertown, former UN volunteer, AT&T manager) said she researched city operations (including a police ride‑along). On ICE, she called for grassroots efforts and following the Constitution. She advocated for balanced growth with environmental considerations, synergy with the county, and individualized motivation for employee retention. Her initiatives include restoring the bike trail and a feasibility study for green energy.

Mayoral Candidates

Three candidates for mayor: Stan Peterson, John Cole (incumbent), and Kevin O’Kelly.

Stan Peterson (retired citizen) prioritized child safety, supporting local businesses, and lowering property taxes. He favors open‑door accountability, suggested churches help fund Meals on Wheels, and called for more technical manufacturing jobs. He proposed a university‑community lecture series and a bowling alley.
John Cole (incumbent, former police officer, business owner) highlighted housing, infrastructure, economic growth, and transparency. He cited 100+ new housing units, the wastewater/water treatment upgrades, and the public safety center. He noted his role in recruiting Cyprus Rail (12–40 jobs) and Masaba’s $45 million expansion. On meals on wheels, he called himself a problem‑solver who would convene stakeholders. He stressed collaboration with USD through the ICAP group and wants to continue the city’s momentum.
Kevin O’Kelly (retired USD assistant VP, planning and zoning commissioner) listed affordable housing, transportation (bus route, bike paths), and civic engagement as priorities. He advocated bold zoning changes (e.g., accessory dwelling units, reduced lot sizes) to address housing. He framed economic development as a team effort led by businesses and supported by zoning. He promised office hours and outreach to hold himself accountable. On energy, he said he would not impose higher costs for green energy. He supports implementing existing plans and setting SMART goals.

Key Outcomes

No votes or binding decisions were made; the forum was informational.
Voters were encouraged to vote on June 2, 2026.
Audience questions addressed Meals on Wheels funding, ICE in Minneapolis, and town‑gown relations.
Candidates uniformly expressed support for collaboration between the city, county, USD, and community organizations.

Meeting Transcript

I'm the chamber manager of the VCBC and thank you very much for joining us today for this campaign, this candidate forum. Um thank you also to the governmental affairs committee with the VCDC. They are volunteers that help us organize this event. And um one of our esteemed members, Matt Fairholm, will be here in the back to um pick up any questions that you might have handwritten that you would like to get to the moderator. This committee has also put together some selected questions that the moderator will ask our candidates. Um we may not get to everybody's question, but please submit them if you would like them read. Um we are gonna start with our school board candidates, and we have um Dr. Carrie Oyan here who is moderating us. Thank you so much, Ms. Oyan, and we will get started. Um we have a timer and a program is in the back. We also have some refreshments, so help yourself. And I would also like to remind you, please silence your phones if you're able to. Um take it away. Wonderful. Well, thank you so much. Um good evening and welcome to everyone. Um my name is Dr. Carrie Oyan. I am a program director and associate professor of school psychology here at the University of South Dakota. Um, certainly care a lot about our community, and I'm excited to be here this evening. Um, I'm gonna be the moderator for tonight's Vermillion City and School Candidate Forum. Um, so we thank all the candidates that are able to be here. We are trying to be as efficient as possible, so we'll start with the school board, then we'll head over to City Council and we'll end with the mayors. Um what we're gonna do tonight is this forum is really designed to be able to provide voters with the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates themselves, seeking leadership roles in Vermilion City Government and the Vermilion School District. Our goal tonight is to encourage informed decision making by offering a respectful space for candidates to share their perspectives, priorities, and qualifications. This event is non-partisan. It's not intended to endorse or oppose any candidate or position. All candidates participating this evening have been invited on equal terms and will be given equal opportunities to speak. We ask everyone's candidates and audience members alike to help maintain a respectful and constructive environment. Civic engagement is strongest when we listen thoughtfully, disagree respectfully, and focused on the issues that matter to our community. Before we begin, I will briefly review the format for our forum this evening so expectations are clear to everyone. Um first, what we're going to do is have each candidate give a two-minute opening statement. Um we also want everyone to know that um as the candidates participate, they will have equal time, so we will ask a question and then they will have two minutes to respond to that question. The other thing to note is that we will rotate the order in which candidates are answering the questions to make sure to give an equal opportunity. Questions have been prepared in advanced and selected by the moderator, but we will have opportunities out here in the audience. If you two would like to ask a question, it sounds like you're to give those to Matt Fairholm, and then we will get them up to me. Um again, please, audience members, uh, we are asking you to refrain from applause, cheering, or verbal reaction during candidate responses because we want to make sure that all candidates can be heard clearly and equally. Um and again, as we conclude this time, I will say it now and I will say it later. Um it's so important to engage in our civic duty to vote. So keeping in mind that June 2nd is coming, and we want to make sure that everybody engages in that process. All right. So welcome first to our school board member candidates. Um I know that we do have one candidate who is not here this evening, Bill to Williger. But I want to make sure we have an opportunity to have Bill and Ryan introduce themselves. So I'll have Ryan, you go first for two minutes, and then followed by Bill. All right. Thank you, Dr. Owen. Thank you, everyone for being here.

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