Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In an unusual move Thursday, the Vermont Senate has decided to revisit H187, the paid sick leave bill, despite overwhelming passage of the legislation Wednesday. The sticking point is a floor amendment before Wednesday's final vote that exempted businesses with five or fewer employees until 2018 (the "Campion amendment"). That provision would thus exclude initially many of the workers the bill is intended to help, but it would help soften the financial blow to these very small businesses. The House version passed last year did not have this provision. The vote Thursday calls for the Senate to reconsider the amendment next Wednesday. The Senate bill as passed could have triggered a Conference Committee and a fight with the House. The reconsideration of the amendment was initiated by Senator Bill Doyle (R-Washington) who voted in favor of the measure Wednesday.

by Mike Faher/The Commons, Brattleboro Entergy spent $58 million from the Vermont Yankee decommissioning trust fund in the first year after the Vernon nuclear plant’s shutdown, the company disclosed. Overall, with investment income and trust administrative expenses figured in, the fund decreased by about $69 million in 2015 — from $664.56 million to $595.4 million at year’s end. Administrators said the new figures show that Entergy is in compliance with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and is on track financially in the early stages of Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning.

“The good news is, we’re still well above the NRC required minimum balance for the trust,” said Joe Lynch, Entergy Vermont Yankee’s government affairs manager. “And we are under budget, overall.”

by Mike Faher/The Commons, Brattleboro When groundwater is collected at Vermont Yankee, there are two sets of eyes — Entergy’s and the state’s — scrutinizing the samples for pollutants. The question, though, is whether that arrangement should continue now that the plant no longer produces power. And some say it’s a high-stakes debate, given the past discovery of contaminants, like tritium and strontium-90 at the Vernon site. Plant owner Entergy is calling for a streamlined monitoring system to replace the “redundant, resource-intensive and inconsistent programs” now in effect. But Vermont officials are arguing that their separate, independent environmental monitoring is necessary — and that Entergy should keep footing the bill for that program.

by Public Assets Institute New evidence finds that public investments that help build a skilled workforce and improve the quality of life for local residents are more likely to create jobs and build a strong economy than tax cuts and attempts to lure businesses with financial incentives. In State Job Creation Strategies Often Off Base, a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Senior Fellow Michael Mazerov and Michael Leachman, Director of State Fiscal Research, show that the vast majority of jobs are created by businesses that start up or are already present in a state.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) has taken the first steps in its five-year plan to expand conservation work within local communities, by announcing it will employ ninety-two young Vermonters, ages 16-18, in eight Vermont regions: Barre, Bennington, Dorset, Richmond, Rutland, Saint Albans, South Burlington, and Woodstock. These young adults will be employed in small teams, doing meaningful work that directly benefits these cities and towns. Youth in each region can apply for one or both 4-week sessions this summer. Applications are now being accepted for Corps Members and Crew Leaders. More information and applications are at www.vycc.org/positions.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger and Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront (BPRW) Director Jesse Bridges released on Wednesday the City’s first system-wide Parks Master Plan. The plan seeks to honor and enhance the role of Burlington’s park spaces and recreation opportunities within the City and the region, and brings together community and staff visions for the continued revitalization of our parks, recreation, and waterfront assets.

“Our Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Master Plan builds on the hard work of generations of Burlingtonians to establish a robust system of parks, public spaces, programs, and connections,” said Mayor Weinberger. “The careful planning identifies elements of the parks system that could be improved upon and showcases the renaissance underway in our treasured park system.” SEE MAP BELOW

Vermont Business Magazine Encore Redevelopment, based in Burlington, is changing its name and its focus. President Chad Farrell announced on Wednesday the new direction and its new name: Encore Renewable Energy. The comprehensive rebrand reflects the completion of Encore’s transition from a traditional property redevelopment company to a singular focus on the development of new sources of clean energy – specifically, the development of commercial, industrial, and community-scale solar PV systems.  Leveraging past work in the brownfields redevelopment arena, Encore’s projects are often connected to undervalued or underutilized properties, and therefore foster sustainable economic growth, environmental awareness, and community improvement.

Vermont Business Magazine In an effort to encourage more people to share their homes, HomeShare Vermont has eliminated their $30 application fee. The application fee was originally put in place to offset the costs of criminal background checks. “Background checks are a critical part of our screening process,” said Executive Director Kirby Dunn. “However, now we will be covering these costs from grants and fundraising so that we don’t discourage great candidates from applying.”

There are no age or income requirements to share your home – anyone with a spare bedroom could benefit by getting a homesharer who can help with household expenses and chores. A recent survey of HomeShare Vermont participants boasts a 99% satisfaction rate. Now, with no cost to apply, why not give it a try? It’s easier than ever to apply!

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) has announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for services to collect and analyze tissue from targeted sport fishes of legal consumption size for cyanotoxins and mercury within Lake Champlain. The successful applicant will collect and analyze tissue samples from yellow perch, white perch, walleye, smallmouth bass, and lake trout for mercury analysis and from appropriate selected species for cyanotoxin analysis. Up to $56,700 is available for this project.

Reduction of toxins and contaminants that pose a risk to human health and the Lake Champlain ecosystem remains a high priority for the Lake Champlain Steering Committee. This additional mercury concentration data will be used by health experts to inform consumption advisories as well as Lake management decisions.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont dairy farmers were recognized for producing high quality cow and goat milk at the Dairy Farmers’ Appreciation Banquet on January 28^th during the 82^nd Vermont Farm Show. The 2015 overall highest-quality (cow) milk award was presented to Allan and Karen Bathalon of North Troy. The 2015 overall highest-quality goat milk award was awarded to Frank and Karen Huard, Craftsbury. The Dairy Farmers’ Appreciation Banquet has been hosted by the Vermont Dairy Industry Association (VDIA) for many years in cooperation with the Vermont Farm Show and Vermont Agency of Agriculture.

Vermont Business Magazine The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federation, has released its second annual national report assessing the status of state legislation affecting LGBT equality across America, including in Vermont. Vermont falls into the second highest-rated category, "Solidifying Equality."

Vermont Business Magazine Holding a press conference at its Williston campus Wednesday, Vermont Tech announced its initiative to tackle workforce development, economic development and gender equity by significantly increasing participation rates among women in several historically male-dominated fields. The college has set new annual female enrollment growth targets in civil and environmental engineering technology, computer information technology, computer software engineering, construction management, and mechanical engineering technology.  The enrollment targets project annual growth of nearly 40%, each year for the next three years starting in the fall of 2016. By the end of the project term, Vermont Tech should realize an increase of female participation in these programs from 10% to 24%. The momentum of such growth and lessons learned from the activities of the project’s years should yield even greater participation rates beyond 2018.