[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6540599,"mediaKeyId","3389366-7584a4c76f511804fc31a2a278c029fe","parentId",3389366,"title","Council covers $4,849 shortfall for Vermillion Shakespeare Festival after state grant pause","audioSeconds",760,"startMs",1199000,"endMs",1959000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3389366-7584a4c76f511804fc31a2a278c029fe&start=1199&end=1959","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3389366-7584a4c76f511804fc31a2a278c029fe/thumbnail_1199000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6540599/Vermillion/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Council-covers-4849-shortfall-for-Vermillion-Shakespeare-Festival-after-state-grant-pause","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6540599-3e49b4a545263d3774dc558da78fef48/orig.mp4?Expires=1776177072&Signature=j4Wsgy4VeXPwSVGWy~-u9qqBcaJEKhrnmpOYdzh0orqbg0gVY3-NSQ4pnup4rJAdBHTX66PvQ5bsa8gi8WlyKkEKOWQbodN8SLEoti9G-nVeCFOvxZE3LYKEzasEjPZ~tBAjf8isNe~W1nQwvRgddiox-ceIej8FX~oc4Fjpn8tbmFvDGigSsWHRuJr0j3a~w2OFZqbKkxdS6yWJ5OLnr95FT-C8UT-BX3BoW3Uuo8ULhwUh~DSRduiMg8GcPu~O62Z2sf7FeE~vUe28CuwQiadamnCMaXuIjTxQcoELOXISp6AszmwjQhLJQ21KLPjxFNvdU9AcMEYvcmK3YIOEbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Vermillion City Council","date","2025-05-19T22:10:42Z","article","The Vermillion City Council approved a one-time payment on May 19 to cover a reported $4,849 shortfall for the 2025 Vermillion Shakespeare Festival after the South Dakota Humanities (Arts) Council temporarily paused grant award notifications.

Greg Huckabee, president of the festival, told the council the group normally received $5,000 annually from the South Dakota Arts Council and had a $10,000 carryover from the prior year that was exhausted this season after the unexpected pause in grant awards. Huckabee described the festival as a 13-year-old, free program that provides evening performances of Shakespeare plays plus daytime workshops for elementary and high school students and programs at local care facilities.

Festival organizers said they were seeking emergency funding to meet the current budget and emphasized a need to identify a new revenue stream for subsequent years. Rich Holly, festival treasurer and a council member, confirmed the remaining gap was $4,849 at the time of the meeting. Councilor Cheeseman moved and Councilor Price seconded a motion to fund the full shortfall. The motion passed by voice vote.

Festival leaders said the request was intended as a one-time gap-filling payment and that the organization intends to pursue other funding sources for future years. Staff had provided historical attendance figures and budget context in the meeting packet.

Council directions: staff to process the payment; festival to pursue additional funding sources for FY2026.

Votes and context: festival representatives noted the fiscal year runs July 1–June 30 and that their programming is free to the public; city council members praised the festival’s local economic and cultural contributions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-05-19 City Council","oneSentenceSummary","Festival leaders said a sudden pause in South Dakota Humanities/Arts Council grant awards created a $4,849 shortfall for the 2025 Vermillion Shakespeare Festival; the council approved a one-time payment to cover the gap.","taxTitle","Vermillion , Clay County, South Dakota","taxId",55677,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6540604,"Residents and Clay-Union Electric raise concerns as council approves annexation and intent to serve the property",965,2569000,3534000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3389366-7584a4c76f511804fc31a2a278c029fe&start=2569&end=3534","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3389366-7584a4c76f511804fc31a2a278c029fe/thumbnail_2569000.jpg","/articles/6540604/Vermillion/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Residents-and-Clay-Union-Electric-raise-concerns-as-council-approves-annexation-and-intent-to-serve-the-property","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6540604-452b9abf39a9b7921ae9e079c564b2a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1776177072&Signature=HQnWEKHV2e0Gojv4iyBep5o3yu-ExYF60SHq7adJvPObTzDYGjHPJLm-8DfFgfWibhBmlC33H~~KfsgN4RLHhc46-BU9Zx48rgrq~5dQM2uumnWoVcAgtihNPdIJAG5UDS7ZQTJOjfY5p3wQM50fXs3r1uX2BBumTN0jESdmMst-TahqmVtMRcqECS~NamaXlrce0zjcrSQTwj87LP75Fr04jOUuodtAxuL2Qrm-bP8eGPByzHEXt6LeIiYq0105d3iNY8ZR-sGmAHGVgbUGKZ-VHm9HPSkvzZ2txDCeLTXg1W0mmDbLeMIR~NhlFMaF1XaomvSlFC0CjtzXGXVJnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Vermillion City Council voted May 19 to annex a 37.1-acre parcel identified as MARF Track 1 at the northeast corner of South Dakota Highway 50 and Princeton and authorized staff to notify Clay-Union Electric of the city’s intent to provide electric service to the annexed area.

The annexation resolution passed after staff described the parcel and noted the city would extend utilities if and when the land is developed. Jose, the city planner, said the parcel would initially be zoned NRC (Natural Resource Conservation), which allows farming until development occurs. John Prescott, city manager, told the council that utility extensions and paving would be driven by future development, and that the city traditionally elects to serve annexed areas unless otherwise constrained.

Chris Larson, a representative of Clay-Union Electric, testified before the council opposing the transfer of electric service rights. Larson said he received minimal notice of the annexation and the accompanying agenda item and called for greater transparency. He told the council he was not objecting to staff or individual personnel but was speaking on policy grounds, pointing out that the cooperative currently holds infrastructure easements through the area and that a service-territory transfer could reduce revenues Clay-Union receives within city limits (including municipal and cooperative taxes) unless the city pays the statutory reimbursements for lost revenue.

Larson asked why details such as acreage, petitioner identity and maps were not included in initial notices and requested more courteous, timely notification for similar actions in the future. Staff responded that the annexation request was received only earlier in the week and that formal maps and legal descriptions would accompany a notice if the council authorized staff to proceed. Shane, a utilities staff member, explained the statutory process: the city has one year after annexation to notify the rural electric cooperative of intent to serve or the land remains in the cooperative’s territory; if the city elects to serve, state law governs purchase of service rights and lost-revenue reimbursements to the cooperative for new customers during a statutory window.

Council discussion was mixed. Some councilors asked whether property owners had indicated they wanted city services; staff said the owners had requested annexation to prepare the land for potential future development and that, if developed, owners would seek city utilities. Councilors also noted the practical benefit of aligning city boundaries and utility service territory to facilitate development. After questions and discussion, the council approved both the annexation resolution and authorization to notify Clay-Union Electric and pursue the statutory transfer of service rights, directing staff to send formal notices and work with the cooperative on any infrastructure or reimbursement questions.

The council record shows no final development plan was submitted with the annexation request; staff and some councilors said that future utility extensions and paving would be conditional on development and do not guarantee immediate infrastructure work.

Actions taken:
- Annexation: approved resolution to annex MARF Track 1 (37.1 acres) into city limits; initial zoning NRC.
- Authorized staff to notify Clay-Union Electric of the city's intent to serve the annexed area and to pursue purchase/transfer of service rights and reimbursements according to state statute.

Key clarifying details conveyed at the meeting: Clay-Union reported existing electric lines and easements through the area though it did not serve customers there; the city has one year after annexation to notify the cooperative under state rules; if new customers connect after annexation the city may owe lost-revenue payments to the cooperative for a statutory window tied to the transfer process.

Councilors directed staff to provide formal maps and legal descriptions to Clay-Union as part of the notification process and to coordinate with the cooperative and property owners as development activity progresses.","The council approved annexation of MARF Track 1 and authorized staff to notify Clay-Union Electric of the city's intent to serve the area; a Clay-Union representative criticized the timing and scope of notice and urged the council to consider co-op members' interests.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6540609,"Vermillion council approves rezoning, utility code updates, event closures and funding requests",0,709000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3389366-7584a4c76f511804fc31a2a278c029fe&start=709&end=709","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3389366-7584a4c76f511804fc31a2a278c029fe/thumbnail_709000.jpg","/articles/6540609/Vermillion/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Vermillion-council-approves-rezoning-utility-code-updates-event-closures-and-funding-requests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6540609-1952ab2f4662bbb684f17a1c706472fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1776177072&Signature=I5QaiEO8a~lvtfM7sdokseL82sM7hH6q74QodV~Y~idpmHVEnoqOiy3CRvrlnFcMO~aBfHrIY0SOwpTkIQsomYKQT77EaSCHuxp5rjoCJjKgNx32AHX4K-U7hFEg1A9LQ5JyNnDYMu1vu6m2Sh-qmfgCx~6KWYPrsXh4RzrUY2F4xmBfpUrnDAab7ftnRUjDgaTezJxo4vFQXmhdWOVaLewYoLdl37K6xWbom~1GJxUEEdAThDY13srU7Z55jcnAnAAke5JCd5UKRwqpGND7sDuN5XkCknthyRivqUyHaxh8HbbwWSw-s5iZgrGE3ilp0bfwFXSBjwOUHxUadVq9bQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Vermillion City Council met Monday, May 19, and voted on a package of ordinances, funding requests and administrative matters, approving rezoning and annexation steps, adopting two utility-code changes and authorizing several street closures and budget amendments.

The council advanced a rezoning first reading for two parcels on Adams Street (ordinance 15-32), adopted amendments updating resale-of-utility-services language for water and electricity (ordinances 15-30 and 15-31) on second reading, approved multiple community event street closures, and approved funding to cover a shortfall for the 2025 Shakespeare Festival and additional audit-related funding for the Vermillion Housing Authority.

The vote package included routine and discretionary items the council frequently handles to support community events and manage municipal property and utilities. Councilors voiced only brief discussion on most items; several passed by unanimous voice or roll-call votes. The meeting also included approval to annex a 37.1-acre parcel (MARF Track 1) at Highway 50 and Princeton, and the council authorized steps to notify the rural electric cooperative about the city’s intent to serve newly annexed territory.

Most votes were voice approvals; two ordinances were adopted on second reading by roll call (8-0). The council declared 13 lots of the former Jolly school site surplus, advancing the property toward sale or transfer steps, and advanced an ordinance (15-34) giving the council flexibility on the municipal budget schedule to a second reading.

Votes at a glance:
- Ordinance 15-32 (first reading): Rezoning parcels at 419 and 505 Adams Street from R-2 to R-3; motion to advance to second reading approved.
- Ordinance 15-30 (second reading and adoption): Amendments clarifying resale of utility services to apply to all utilities and moving the code into general provisions; adopted (roll-call vote recorded as 8 yeas, 0 nays).
- Ordinance 15-31 (second reading and adoption): Companion amendment aligning electric resale language with 15-30; adopted (roll-call vote recorded as 8 yeas, 0 nays).
- Shakespeare Festival funding: Council approved a one-time payment to cover a reported shortfall of $4,849 for the 2025 festival; motion carried by voice vote.
- Vermillion Housing Authority audit funding: Council approved revising the budget to cover prior and upcoming audit costs (staff recommended a rounded request of $16,900 to cover past and year-ending payments); motion carried.
- Annexation: Resolution to annex MARF Track 1 (37.1 acres at SD Highway 50 and Princeton) approved; council directed staff to proceed with related steps.
- Authorization to notify Clay-Union Electric of the city’s intent to serve the annexed area: council authorized staff to notify the cooperative and to pursue service territory transfer procedures under state law (motion carried by council vote after discussion).
- Event and street closures: Approvals given for VCDC downtown Trick-or-Treat (Church Street block, Oct. 31), Standstill Parade of Lights (Main/adjacent streets, Dec. 4), and a Packer Group alley closure for a May 30 event; motions carried.
- Surplus declaration: Lots 1–13, Block 1, Jolly Addition (former Jolly school site) declared surplus to allow appraisal and sale processes; motion carried.
- Ordinance 15-34 (first reading advanced): Amendment providing flexibility on the municipal budget process advanced to second reading.

The council also advanced the city’s planned next steps for selling and preparing the Jolly Addition lots (appraisal and surplus committee pricing) and approved the city manager’s recommendations on scheduling and board recruitment. Several items were informational only, including board meeting dates and a new historic preservation commission website.

The meeting record shows mostly unanimous or broadly supported action; staff will return certain items (rezoning, budget ordinance) for final determinations at later meetings.","At its May 19 meeting the Vermillion City Council advanced a rezoning first reading, adopted two utility-related ordinances on second reading, approved multiple street closures and agreed to several one-time funding requests and administrative actions, including annexation and surplus declaration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council covers $4,849 shortfall for Vermillion Shakespeare Festival after state grant pause

Residents and Clay-Union Electric raise concerns as council approves annexation and intent to serve the property

Vermillion council approves rezoning, utility code updates, event closures and funding requests