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Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont rose over the last week, but remain slightly lower than the national average, according to GasBuddy. Vermont prices averaged $3.51 per gallon, up 4 cents per gallon from last week's $3.47/g. Prices are 5 cents lower/g than a month ago and $1.20 lower than a year ago. The national average price of gasoline rose 3 cents over the last week, averaging $3.55/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed into law several bills as passed by the General Assembly. They include H.53 An act relating to driver’s license suspensions and revenue for the Domestic and Sexual Violence Special Fund; H.161 An act relating to issuance of burning permits; three bills related to charter changes in Middlebury and Burlington; and H.222 An act relating to reducing overdoses.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that Four Quarters Brewing, LLC, a brewery in Winooski, was fined $5,035 for violating its Pretreatment Discharge Permit to discharge process wastewater to the City of Winooski Wastewater Treatment Facility. Vermont’s 92 municipal wastewater treatment facilities process more than 15 billion gallons of wastewater per year, treating wastewater to established standards before releasing it into the environment. Certain industrial and commercial activities require a pretreatment discharge permit to discharge wastewater to those municipal treatment facilities. Four Quarters has since brought operations into compliance with its Pretreatment Discharge Permit and is in good standing with the DEC.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a CBS News investigation that uncovered repeated instances of defense contractors overcharging the Department of Defense (DOD) to secure excess profits of 40 to 50 percent, costing the US taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Mike Braun (R-IN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) on Wednesday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III urging a thorough investigation. The CBS News report found that the DOD would often negotiate fixed price contracts providing for private profits of 12 to 15 percent, only for Pentagon analysts to find overcharges that boosted total profits to nearly 40 percent or more. Massive overcharges from defense contractors accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars were uncovered in the investigation.

Vermont Business Magazine In an effort to address the threat posed by the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB), the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation urges both residents and visitors to stay informed and follow recommendations. As part of the Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week, May 22 to May 28, 2023, Vermont renews its commitment to safeguarding its ash tree population, while increasing public safety. The EAB begins its flight season on June 1, when they will emerge from infested ash trees, logs, and firewood and seek new host trees and mates.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s annual, statewide Summer Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 10 this year, and it will be highlighted by a free family fishing festival in Grand Isle as well as opening day of the state’s regular bass fishing season. Free Fishing Day in Vermont also will be celebrated at the “Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival,” to be held at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station at 14 Bell Hill Road in Grand Isle. The festival will run from 9 am to 3 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s turtles are on the move, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking for the public’s help in keeping them safe. Female turtles will soon be looking for places to deposit their eggs, and they sometimes choose inconvenient or dangerous locations. For example, turtles often lay eggs in gravel parking lots and driveways and along road shoulders, which puts them at risk of being hit by motor vehicles. Turtle nesting activity peaks between late May and early June, and drivers are urged to keep an eye out for turtles on the road – especially when driving near ponds and wetlands.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will end data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture on May 31. New England producers who have not yet returned their completed questionnaires have just one week left to respond. Federal law requires everyone who received the ag census to complete and return it. USDA NASS is reminding ag census recipients that if they produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2022, or normally would have produced and sold that much, they meet USDA’s definition of a farm. However, landowners who lease land to producers, those solely involved in conservation programs, and even those who may not have farmed in 2022 are still required to respond.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of Administration Kristin Clouser issued a loud note of caution today as all three major tax revenue funds failed to meet expectations in the month of April. Clouser said the under-performance of the personal income tax by over $40 million is particularly "troubling." For the first time this fiscal year, the General Fund, Transportation Fund and Education Fund have all failed to achieve their monthly consensus revenue expectations. Year to date, only the General Fund is exceeding the target adopted by the Emergency Board at its January 17, 2023 meeting. The State’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $443.0 million, missing the $458.6 million monthly consensus target by -$15.6 million, or (3.4%). Cumulative results through April 2023, however, remain $32.0 million, or 1.8%, above the $2,714.9 million consensus target set back in January. General Fund revenues for April totaled $357.9 million, -$12.6 million, or (3.4%), below the $370.4 million monthly consensus cash flow target. For the third month in a row, Personal Income Tax receipts failed to meet their consensus target, missing by -$42.8 million in April (-$15.32%).

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is kicking off a project to develop Vermont’s digital equity plan to bridge the digital divide and ensure all Vermonters have access to affordable broadband as well as the knowledge and equipment to use it. The effort is part of the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and Digital Equity Act, which will distribute more than $45 billion nationwide to expand high-speed Internet by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, mapping, adoption programs, and promote digital inclusion and advance equity for all.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced the awards for the SFY24 Municipal Roads Grants-in-Aid Program, which provides funding for municipalities to implement best management practices in accordance with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Municipal Roads General Permit. This year, 233 municipalities are participating. A total of approximately $4 million in awards will be granted in this cycle. Municipalities will submit reimbursement requests directly to AOT for work completed, and AOT will reimburse up to 80% of each municipality’s documented construction expenses, including in-kind support, for best management practices on hydrologically connected roads.

Vermont Business Magazine In April, State Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced an $85 million expansion of the “10% in Vermont” local investment program, which authorizes the Treasurer to invest up to 10% of the State’s average daily cash balance for economic development in Vermont. Today he reminded Vermonters that there is one week until the June 1st, 2023 application deadline for the first round of local investment proposals. A subsequent application round is planned for the fall.