Current News

Employees at Carris Reels-Plastics Division in Rutland are already pining for that first bite of fresh tomato from their soon-to-be planted garden this summer. The company received a Green Thumbs Community Garden grant from the Vermont Department of Health.

“We thought a garden would be a great addition to our Health and Wellness program,” said Patricia Blake, site manager for Carris Plastics. “Our hope is to also be able to offer an activity to get our employees outside and doing some exercising, as well as enjoying that first ripe tomato. Nothing beats that taste.”

Other Green Thumbs at Work garden grant winners are Community Health Centers of the Rutland Region, Hickok & Boardman Financial Planning in Burlington, Milton CAT in Richmond, NEKCA Head Start in Barton, Sunrise Family Resource Center in Bennington, Transportation Security Administration in North Clarendon, and Washington Electric Coop in East Montpelier.

Public Assets Institute Vermont’s income tax is among the lowest in the country: 2.7 percent of the state’s total personal income.

Money is available for Vermont communities for the purpose of mitigating the effects of future disasters on public infrastructure and some private property. Communities, tribal organizations, and private non-profit organizations may still apply for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds following the most recent federal disaster declaration and previous disasters.

HMGP grants cover up to 75 percent of costs associated with lessening the potential damage from a future disaster. Projects like flood-proofing of public buildings, culvert replacement, riverbank stabilization and many others have been completed in the past under the HMGP with local jurisdictions paying for 25 percent of the work.

Connie Sanderson, Kurn Hattin Homes for Children's Executive Director, has announced her plans to retire after nearly three decades of service to the 120-year-old non-profit children’s services agency. Sanderson intends to step down from her current position later this year. She will assist in the transition to a new Executive Director and remain on staff until a new leader is in place, after which time she will continue to serve Kurn Hattin as a key fundraiser on a part-time basis.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell announced today that his office has filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the State of Vermont against Dean R Corren seeking enforcement of Vermont’s campaign finance laws and the provisions governing the public financing of election campaigns. The violations asserted arise out of requests by Corren, a publicly financed candidate, to the VDP to contribute to his campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014, Corren’s facilitation of such support, and the VDP’s assistance by sending a mass email expressly advocating Corren’s election to a distribution list of between 16,000 and 19,000 people. Corren has counter-sued the AG's office.

Sterling College launched the most ambitious fundraising effort in its history on Wednesday. “Nourish the Roots: The Campaign for Sterling” has a goal of $9 million, and the college also announced that it has already raised $4.5 million in gifts and commitments toward that goal for the Craftsbury Common school. The heart of the campaign is strengthening the college’s abiding commitment to environmental stewardship.

“Sterling has always been a pioneer,” said President Matthew Derr, “and it has consistently emphasized what is important and what is authentic.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters are not equally healthy. Chittenden County residents are the healthiest in the state, while those Essex and Orleans are the least, according to a new study released today by the Vermont Department of Health. The results are detailed in the 2015 County Health Rankings released today by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps shows, county-by-county across the nation, what makes people sick or healthy, and what can be done to create healthier places to live, learn, work and play.

A $10,000 grant from the National Life Group Foundation to the Cross Vermont Trail Association will help provide a key link to the area’s recreation network. The money is earmarked to the association’s Build the Bridge project, which calls for construction of a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the Winooski River east of Montpelier. That bridge will help to connect the trail that winds its way from Lake Champlain to the Connecticut River.

“We’re pleased that we can help make the community we call home even more attractive,” said Beth Rusnock, president of the National Life Group Foundation. “It’s an added bonus that the trail is also a healthy alternative to commuting to work by car, something that National Life employees wholeheartedly endorse.”

Vermont Gas issued the statement below following testimony Wednesday before the Vermont Public Service Board regarding the gas pipeline extension from Chittenden County to Addison County. Cost overruns have led VGS to cancel Phase 2 of the project, which would have extended the pipeline to the International Paper plant in Ticonderoga, NY. Because of the inflated cost, Vermont Gas had to go back to the regulator to continue Phase 1. The Vermont Department of Public Service recommended last year that Vermont Gas pay a $35,000 fine for violating board rule 5.409, which addresses cost overruns. Vermont Gas apparently will pay that fine and if so will become the first utility in the state to ever do so. The PSB ultimately will decide on the penalty and whether Phase 1 can proceed.

The University of Vermont Medical Center received the “2014 Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award” today from the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for the company’s extensive efforts to improve employee health. The award recognizes successful programs at the UVM Medical Center that engaged 50 percent of its 7,300 employees. Key elements include biometric screenings, health coaching for lifestyle changes, online health assessments, and creative use of social media to engage the workforce. Wellness initiatives at the Medical Center have been recognized consistently by the State of Vermont for more than a decade.

BioTek Instruments, a global leader in microplate instrumentation technology, recently received the '2014 Supplier of the Year' award from Fisher Scientific, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. The award was presented to BioTek in Phoenix, Arizona at Fisher Scientific’s annual meeting. Fisher Scientific annually presents this award to the supplier that best exemplifies outstanding overall performance and support in a number of categories including percent growth, marketing participation, new product development and on time delivery to help grow Fisher’s North American business.

This prestigious award was presented by David Koi, Senior Vice President, Global Portfolio Management and Lisa Witte, President, Research & Safety Division at Fisher Scientific.

by David Coates, KPMG (retired) I wish I had some encouraging news to share with you on the status of Vermont's liabilities for underfunded pensions and retiree health care benefits (OPEB), but I don't as these liabilities continue to grow despite positive, incremental changes that have been made over the last few years. Unfortunately, the changes only ended up nibbling around the edges; the size of the liabilities and the key underlying assumptions require significant structural reform.

Here is a look at the unfunded liabilities taken from the most recent Actuarial Reports:

2014 2010 2005

Pensions (State and Teachers) $1.5 Billion $1.0 Billion $0.2 Billion