Broadcaster Press 3 February 9, 2016 www.broadcasteronline.com City Council Hears Proposed Ordinance Changes By Shauna Marlette shauna.marlette@plaintalk.net The Vermillion City Council has been talking chicken for the past several weeks, and Monday’s noon meeting was no different. The City Council was presented with a preliminary ordinance for allowing chickens in the city limits of Vermillion. Assistant city manager Andy Colvin presented the proposal. “It is based on countless hours of research,” he said “It has been broken down in to several sections the first being the definition and purpose of the ordinance.” He went on to say that the proposed ordinance gives guidance for investigation and enforcement of the code and it outlines the limitations. “We have written the proposed ordinance to be very restrictive,” Colvin said. “It is easier to remove language and policies, than it is to add them.” He also noted that while if the city does choose to allow chickens in town, those people who live in planned development districts would have to go to their boards to see if they are allowed as they have their own regulations. The ordinance would allow the owners of the chickens to slaughter for their own use, set the standards for coop requirements and set up permitting requirements. In addition, the ordinance sets up the application process, permit revocation standards, identifies violations and potential zoning issues. During the discussion, City Council members had several questions, several focused on who would be allowed to own chickens in town? Katherine Price requested clarification on if renters of single family dwellings would be allowed to have chickens if they met the permitting requirement, or if only owner occupied would be permitted. Kelsey Collier-Wise noted that the 100 percent neighbor consent would be difficult and was concerned if it needed to be worded similar to permitting dogs in the city. Powell questioned if renters were allowed to own chicken who would be responsible for violations, the renter or the property owner. “There is a grey area for who is on the hook, the renter or the landlord,” Price noted. “Who gives permission for neighbors, the tenant or the landlord? Can we say only owner occupied prop- erties qualify?” Collier-Wise suggested “starting small” to see how it goes, by limiting it to owner occupied properties as it could be expanded later. After all of the discussion, the council decided to table the issue as they wanted time to review the proposed ordinance and the opportunity to bring any questions back to the table at the Feb. 15 meeting. Firecracker Fun The second ordinance under discussion at Monday’s noon meeting was dealing with the use of fireworks within city limits. Fire Chief Shannon Draper presented a proposal to update the current ordinance to be more in-line with state regulations and to help local law enforcement personnel to inforce the regulations. “Currently it is illegal to shoot, discharge or explode fireworks in city limits,” said Draper. “But, you and I both know that people do it anyway. These changes would set a time when certain fireworks will be allowed and which types.” Changes include: • Allowing certain types of fireworks to be discharged from 9 a.m. to midnight on the fourth of July. Examples of the types allowed would include low impact fireworks, commonly known as, but not limited to, sparklers, cylindrical fountains, cone fountains, illuminating torches, wheels, ground spinners, flitter sparklers, certain toy smoke devices and certain wire sparklers/dipped sticks; • Not allow any fireworks that leave the ground. Including but not limited to: sky rockets, bottle rockets, missile-type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, roman candles, mine and shell devices, aerial shell kits, firecrackers, chasers, and certain multiple tube fireworks devices; • Allows permitting for special events. Permits must be done 20 days prior to the event and requires all relevant permits, licenses and requirements of the city. In addition to the changes for consumer use fireworks, Draper noted that there will be new requirements for the selling of fireworks. “Sellers will be required to obtain a permit to sell fireworks within city limits,” he said. “It forbids the sale of any illegal fireworks, sets the dates of sale and only allows one temporary vendor Beresford High School Receives CASE Grant from DuPont Pioneer BERESFORD – Beresford High School is pleased to announce that DuPont Pioneer donated $2,600 toward the agricultural education program as part of the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) program. This grant is part of the DuPont Pioneer sponsorship of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) CASE grant program. CASE offers grants of $2,500 to $5,000 to help train teachers and supply equipment and resources to prepare students for careers in agriculture and food. The goal is to support elimination of three cost barrier areas that have limited implementation of the program in their schools: teacher training, equipment and materials, and end-of-course assessments. “Ensuring that we have enough safe, affordable food for all will require that more students understand agriculture and become leaders in food production, said Michelle Book, director of Community and Academic Relations for DuPont Pioneer. “We know that we cannot do this alone and are working with others in agriculture and education to give teachers the best resources to encourage youth to understand agriculture and consider careers in the industry.” “This gift helps make the CASE plant science curriculum possible for the Beresford school district and provides coverage for supplies needed to perform hands-on learning with lab exercises,” said Bridget Anne Twedt, an instructor at Beresford High School. “By engaging students in active learning skills through CASE, it will only increase their science knowledge and subsequently improve their test scores and grades in their science classes.” CASE is a multiyear approach to agriscience education with rigorous educator training requirements and hands-on, inquiry-focused learning activities. The collaboration between DuPont Pioneer and CASE is a special project of the National FFA Foundation. This is the third year of involvement for DuPont Pioneer. Learn more about the program and grant schedule on the CASE grant website. Pioneer makes contributions to community-based organizations on behalf of the business and employees. Consideration for outreach grants are given to communities where Pioneer representatives, employees and customers live and work and that support quality-of-life initiatives to create an improved, sustainable lifestyle for people worldwide. 3x ...the Value For Your Classified! 605-624-4429 per 5,000 residents. Or in other words, only two temporary permits in the city of Vermillion each year.” Following the presentation, the council asked for a formal proposed ordinance for review. During the evening meeting Monday the Council completed the following business: • Approved a street closure request from the Law Enforcement Torch Run to close Kidder Street from Court Street to the alley between Court Street and Market Street on Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge; • Adopted a resolution approving the acquisition of Outlot 1, Block 1 Bliss Pointe Addition for a future public park. The Vermillion Chamber and Development Company (VCDC) donated the property; • Adopted a resolution approving the acquisition of Lot 3, Block 4 Erickson Addition, which currently has a sanitary sewer lift station. The VCDC donated the property. • Adopted a resolution approving the acquisition of Lot 1, Block 1 Heikes Addition that will be used for an electrical substation. The VCDC donated the property; and, • Reviewed a lease abatement request from SBA Communications for a tower lease on E. Highway 50. Action on the item was tabled until the next meeting. City Manager John Prescott noted that the next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, February 16th due to the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, February 15th. Future items City Council will consider include: • an agenda item on the February 16th agenda to annex the airport property. The City is the sole owner of all the property under consideration for annexation; a special City Council meeting on Monday, February 29th at 5:15 pm is being planned to consider bids to construct the Prentis Park pool. USD Student Art On Display At 29th Stilwell Exhibition The 29th Annual Stilwell Exhibition featuring 70 pieces of artwork created by USD students opened Friday in the John A. Day Gallery at the Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts and will be on display until Feb. 23. This year's juror is Larry Schuh, a 1977 graduate of the University of South Dakota and currently an associate professor of studio art and printmaking at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he specializes his work in printmaking. “The pieces vary to show the variety of diverse programs and levels of our students, so there intermediate, upper-level undergraduate and graduate students featured,” said Michelle St.Vrain, interim director of the University Art Galleries. “The pieces on display include printmaking, photography, mixed media, ceramics, painting, drawings and installations.” The 2015 Best in Show, “Feminine Attempt #1,” an oil on canvas painting by Klaire Pearson, and other artwork created by USD students will be on display at the exhibition and available to the public for purchase. “This is our most popular exhibition so we anticipate a great amount of traffic," St. Vrain said. The display is named after Wilber Stilwell, former chair and professor, his wife Gladys and their family who all still support the exhibit. Stilwell came to USD after obtaining his master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1941. During his time at USD he was a faculty member of the Department of Art for 32 years and department chair for 26 years. While attending USD, Schuh received his bachelor of fine arts degree and then obtained his master of fine arts degree from Indiana University. He will speak on his artwork in the Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts in room 172 at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27. The John A. Day Gallery at the Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts is free of charge to the public and will be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. February is the month of Love Call 624-6732 or Text 659-1006 Treat your loved one to a massage or Love yourself with one. www.loismassages.com Gift Certificates available at Vermillion Hy-Vee, Order Online or Stop In! 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