2021 Vision Fund Project Application
Public Proposal Submission Deadline: *Next Round of Funding will be in 2024 for projects beginning in 2025*
VISION ACCOUNT
The City Council shall by resolution adopt a plan for projects or programs to be funded, in whole or in part, from the Vision Account. No portion of the Vision Account shall be used to fund any project or program not included in the plan. All projects included in the plan shall be located within the City Limits of Rapid City or benefit the City as a whole.
The City Council may use the Vision Account to finance buildings, facilities, infrastructure or other capital projects, but may not use the Vision Account to finance ongoing maintenance and operational expenses of the various City departments, or of any buildings and/or facilities included in the plan. The City Council shall be authorized to issue revenue bonds to be paid from the Fund in order to finance the projects contained in the plan. The Vision Account may be used to fund the operational expenses of economic development projects or programs.
A 2016 ordinance revision removed the 5-year plan stipulation and sets forth each new plan-period be left to the discretion of the Council to be set prior to solicitation of projects.
On May 17, 2021 Council authorized the solicitation of potential projects from the public for the next round of projects to be funded out of the Vision account, providing an anticipated $24 million in Vision Fund revenue available for projects, and setting a three-year project period.
(MAY 2, 2024 UPDATE)
PUBLIC PROVIDES INPUT, ASKS QUESTIONS AT APRIL 29 VISION FUND OPEN HOUSE
More than 60 people turned out for the Vision Fund Open House April 29 at City Hall.
The event included several information tables and visual displays with City staff available to address questions and share information. The public was invited to ask questions and provide feedback, including submitting written comments and filling out funding pie charts.
At the April 1 City Council meeting, Mayor Jason Salamun presented a general outline for allocating Vision Funds over a five-year budget cycle for 2025-2029. The mayor suggested the Council consider dividing the Vision Fund resources over the five-year period into four distinct areas: community projects including citizen-recommended projects and development of a non-profit endowment to help non-profit capital projects; economic development; comprehensive plan priority projects such as parks/recreation projects, public safety training center and a new fleet maintenance facility; and formation of a strategic growth revolving fund for investment in proactive development in strategic areas. Learn more about the proposal by clicking on the link below:
The next steps in the process rest with the City Council, which must first consider and approve ordinances updating the process for approving expenditures from the City’s Capital Improvement and Vision Fund.
The ordinance revision will be on the agenda at the Legal and Finance Committee meetings and City Council meetings in May. Two readings of the ordinance revisions must be approved by Council before any plan or proposal can be considered for the next Vision Fund cycle.
NUMBER OF MEMBERS
9 voting members, 2 alternates, 2 Youth City Council liaisons
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Committee members must be citizens of Rapid City.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES
The purpose of the Vision Fund Citizen Committe is to accept and take comments on potential community Vision Account projects for recommendation to City Council in support of projects that accomplish the City’s long-term goals and values. 3.16.090B.2.
CITIZEN COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
W. Kevin Maher - Committee Chair
Jim Keck
William Spindle
Beth Keeney
Marta Olson-Rangitsch
Kevin Crosby
James Haar
Kim Morsching
Christine Stephenson
Jennifer Rice - Alternate
Al Rodriguez - Alternate
PUBLIC HEARINGS
The Citizen Committee will invite all applicants to present their projects at a public hearing for the purpose of taking comment on and discussing each project proposal.
CITIZEN COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Citizen Committee will present final recommendations to the City Council in support of community projects that best align with the City's long term goals and values.
The Mayor and a City leadership team will present a list of City projects for consideration to Council at this same meeting. The Council will then take both City and community projects into consideration as they assess the needs of the City, and will take all funds and projects being undertaken to ensure that Vision Funds are allocated towards projects that best accomplish the City's long term goals and priorities.
Please contact the Mayor's Office if you have questions we can assist with.
Mayor's Office
300 Sixth Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
605-394-4110
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ITEMS FROM PREVIOUS VISION FUND ROUNDS
pdf 2018 Community Projects (189 KB)
pdf Public Hearing Schedule (104 KB)
Public Hearings held December 18, 2018
2 p.m. Public Hearing Video
6 p.m. Public Hearing Video
Public Hearings held December 20, 2018
2 p.m. Public Hearing Video
6 p.m. Public Hearing Video
PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS
pdf 2019 Citizen Committee Project Recommendations (116 KB)
pdf 2019 City Council Vision Fund Allocation Summary (99 KB)
ADDITIONAL RELATED INFORMATION
3.16090 Rapid City Capital Improvements and Vision Fund
pdf
HISTORY OF VISION FUND PROJECTS
(84 KB)
Rapid City Comprehensive Plan
