Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont is among the most sustainable campuses in North America, according to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a program that measures accomplishments in sustainability in higher education. For the fourth time in a row, UVM earned a “Gold” rating in the highly regarded STARS measures. STARS, managed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), is the primary means for tracking sustainability performance for campuses across the country and is used by more than 900 institutions of higher education.

Ciara McEneany, Community News Service Legislators may be looking at a bill to provide two hours paid leave for employees to vote in primary, general and Town Meeting Day elections. The bill, H.298, was referred to the House Committee on General and Housing in late February aiming to give Vermonters more opportunities to vote. Its sponsor, Representative Joseph “Chip” Troiano, D-Stannard, said he drafted the bill after years of hearing comments about lacking attendance for Town Meeting Day and other elections. Advocates believe having to work on election days can be a barrier for working class Vermonters, who either decide against voting because they would lose income or simply can’t leave work to begin with.

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative—a working group of fisheries professionals from Vermont, New York and USFWS—announced their decision to further reduce the number of stocked lake trout released annually in Lake Champlain. This decision was prompted by a continued increase in natural reproduction and the documentation of multiple age classes of wild lake trout in the lake. A stocking program was established in the 1950s to restore lake trout in the lake following the loss of native populations due to water quality and habitat changes. Although the lake was stocked with 82,000 fin clipped fish annually, there was little evidence of successful natural reproduction during the first 60 years of this program. In the last 12 years, UVM researchers have documented an increasing number of unclipped juvenile lake trout, suggesting successful natural reproduction and the establishment of a wild population.

Vermont Business Magazine In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Charity Clark today announced the top 10 consumer complaints received by her office’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) in 2022. CAP, a partnership between the Attorney General’s Office and the University of Vermont, offers a free mediation service for Vermont consumers, including small businesses. In 2022, CAP received 1,206 complaints and recovered more than $452,000 for Vermont consumers, nearly doubling the total amount of recoveries for Vermonters compared to 2021 ($240,000). Claiming the list’s top spots are complaints involving vehicles, home improvement, and retail respectively – collectively representing approximately 52 percent of all complaints filed in 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the appointment of Michael LaChance as the City’s Chief Engineer of the Burlington Fire Department. Chief LaChance comes into the role following more than 23 years of service to the Burlington Fire Department. Mayor Weinberger will seek City Council confirmation of his appointment at the March 13 regular meeting. One of Chief LaChance’s first key projects will be working in partnership with the Burlington Police Department and Howard Center to implement the Medically Enhanced Response Team.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are unchanged from last week to $3.42 today, according to GasBuddy. They are down 7 cents/g from last month and are down 90 cents/g from the same time last year. The lowest price in Vermont is $3.09 in Brattleboro and the highest is $3.69 in Killington. The national average price of gasoline has risen 9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.44/g today. This is the first-time gas has been lower in Vermont than the US average since last October.

Vermont Business Magazine For the eighth year in a row, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) offered free leak detection services to Vermont’s public water systems. Water systems serve homes, schools, and businesses and offer Vermonters clean, safe drinking water. In 2022, DEC helped 17 systems find and fix 21 leaks which saved 30.4 million gallons of water a year. Water leaks often go undetected until there is a significant problem. That is why it’s important for water districts and municipalities to conduct leak detection surveys every one to three years.

Vermont Business Magazine As school districts across the country report serious staffing shortages largely due to unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, and low pay, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Thursday introduced essential legislation to begin to address the major teacher pay crisis in America and ensure that all public school teachers earn a livable and competitive wage that is at least $60,000 a year and increases over the course of their career. Joining Sanders on the Pay Teachers Act are Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vermont).

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is offering a New Instructor Training Course for people interested in volunteering to teach Hunter Education courses in Vermont. The training will take place Saturday, March 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the at South Burlington City Hall, 180 Market St, South Burlington, VT 05403. All applicants must complete their instructor paperwork and online homework before attending the course.

Vermont Business Magazine If you are considering upgrading the lighting in your business to LED, now’s a better time than ever to complete a project! In partnership with Vermont’s Regional Development Corporations, Efficiency Vermont is offering enhanced rebates to support Vermont businesses in upgrading to qualified LED lighting in 2023. Projects may be eligible to receive one of two special lighting rebates covering a portion of project costs as follows: 75% of equipment and installation costs covered, up to a maximum rebate of $10,000; Projects with 500 or more linear tube LEDs (TLEDs): 100% of equipment cost covered.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont-based Bullrock Renewables announced today it is building a 3.3 megawatt "SPEED project" in Bristol. The project, dubbed "Bristol Solar," is slated to be operational this October. In the coming months, 12 full-time employees will be dedicated to constructing the ground mount array. The SPEED project in Bristol was at risk of not being built with permits expiring. Vermont established the Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development Program (SPEED) program in 2005 to encourage the development of renewable energy sources in the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced he appointed 106 individuals to State boards and commissions in January and February of 2023. Boards and commissions serve an important role in state government, giving Vermonters numerous opportunities to serve their state and communities. The Governor’s office is currently soliciting applications to fill vacancies and upcoming term expirations.