City Council Agendas, Packets and Minutes

Special Meeting Agenda City Council 12:00 p.m. (Noon) Special Meeting Monday, October 27, 2025 Powell Conference Room – City Hall 25 Center Street Vermillion, South Dakota 57069 1. Roll Call. 2. Adoption of the Agenda. 3. Visitors to be Heard. 4. Old Business. a. Second reading of Ordinance 1547 to Amend Title XV, Land Usage; Chapter 155 Zoning Regulations; Section 155.037 GB General Business District, Subsection (B) Conditional Uses, Amending the Applicable Standards for the Veterinarian, Small Animal Use. 5. Adjourn. Access the City Council Agenda on the web – www.vermillion.us Vermillion City Council: Jon Cole, Mayor Northwest Ward: Mike Murra, Gary Cheeseman Central Ward: Katherine Price, Lindsey Jennewein Northeast Ward: Julia Hellwege, Jay Thaler Southeast Ward: Rich Holland, Al Leber Addressing the Council: Persons addressing the Council shall be recognized. Please state your name and address. Presentations are limited to 5 minutes. For those who do not appear on the agenda, no decision is to be expected at this time. Meeting Assistance: If you require assistance, alternative formats and/or accessible locations consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the City Manager’s Office at 677-7050 at least 3 working days prior to the meeting. Council Meetings: City Council regular meetings are held the first and third Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. If a meeting falls on a City holiday, the meeting will be scheduled for the following Tuesday. Live Broadcasts of Council Meetings on Cable Channel: Regular City Council 6:00 p.m. meetings are broadcast live on Cable Channel 3. Special City Council Meetings are not televised but open for attendance. As a courtesy to others, we ask that cellular phones and other electronic devices be turned off during the meeting. Our future as a community depends on recognizing our past. The City of Vermillion exists on the ancestral lands of the Oceti Sakowin and Omaha indigenous people. We honor and appreciate those who have the longest relationship with this place.  4. Old Business; item a Council Agenda Memo From: Jose Dominguez, City Engineer Meeting: October 27, 2025 Subject: Second Reading of Ordinance 1547 to amend Title XV, Land Usage; Chapter 155 Zoning Regulations; Section 155.037 GB General Business District, Subsection (B) Conditional Uses, amending the Applicable Standards for the Veterinarian, small animal use Presenter: Jose Dominguez Background: At the October 6, 2025 City Council meeting, the Council considered a request for an appeal regarding the placement of a small animal veterinarian use. The appeal was requested since Staff denied the application because the use would be closer than 150 feet from a residentially used building located in a residential district. After consideration, and denial of the appeal, the City Council requested that the ordinance be amended as quickly as possible so that small animal veterinarian uses are allowed as a conditional use within the GB General Business district. Discussion: The current ordinance places small animal veterinarians as a Conditional Use. This requires the use to be reviewed and approved by the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission. However, prior to being considered the use must meet certain applicable standards. One of these standards is the fact that the use cannot be located within 150 feet of a residential building within a residential district. The proposal would remove the distance requirement and not allow the kenneling of dogs outside of the building. This will remove the distance requirement and any future appeals due to proximity to a residential use. Prior to the 2008 Zoning Ordinance, veterinarian uses were allowed as Special Uses. However, anything associated with the use had to occur within an entirely enclosed structure. With the 2008 Zoning Ordinance, the outdoor kenneling of dogs was allowed if the use was at least 1,000 feet from a residential use. This remained until the ordinance was amended in 2012 reducing the distance from 1,000 feet to 150 feet. The 150-foot distance is the current requirement.  4. Old Business; item a The Planning and Zoning Commission considered the item at a special meeting on October 20th. After discussion, the Commission voted 7-0 to recommend the Council adopt the ordinance as proposed by Staff. During the meeting three members of the public spoke in favor of the amendment. The discussion centered if a distance required would be considered arbitrary and the benefits of not allowing outdoor kenneling of dogs as associated with veterinarian uses. The Council considered the first reading at the October 20th meeting. There was one member of the public that spoke. The individual was in favor of the amendment as proposed. After public comments, the Council discussed the possibility of having future amendments to include a distance requirement. After discussion, the Council voted 7-0 to advance the ordinance to second reading on October 27th. No changes to the ordinance have been made. Financial Consideration: Besides publishing costs, there are no financial considerations. Conclusion/Recommendations: Administration and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt the ordinance as presented. This being a second reading, a roll call vote is required.  ORDINANCE 1547 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND TITLE XV, LAND USAGE; CHAPTER 155 ZONING REGULATIONS; SECTION 155.037 GB GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, SUBSECTION (B) CONDITIONAL USES, AMENDING THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS FOR THE VETERINARIAN, SMALL ANIMAL USE. BE IT ORDAINED, by the Governing Body of the City of Vermillion, South Dakota that the City of Vermillion Code of Ordinances Title XV, Land Usage; Chapter 155 Zoning Regulations; Section 155.037 GB General Business District, Subsection (B) Conditional Uses, amending the Applicable Standards for the Veterinarian, small animal use. All other portions of Section 155.037 will remain as they are. Following is the amendment: § 155.037 GB GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. (B) Conditional Uses Conditional Uses Applicable Standards Veterinarian, small No outdoor kenneling of dogs. animal §§ 155.070, 155.072, 155.073, 155.077, 155.095(A) Dated at Vermillion, South Dakota this 27th day of October, 2025. THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF VERMILLION, SOUTH DAKOTA BY____________________________ Jonathan D. Cole, Mayor ATTEST: BY______________________________ Katie E. Redden, Finance Officer First Reading: October 20, 2025 Second Reading: October 27, 2025 Published: October 31, 2025 Effective: November 20, 2025