Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Senate passed a bill (S.37) that helps Vermonters who have been harmed by toxic chemical contamination and face increased medical expenses, reduced property value, and other harms as a result of chemical contamination.  Last year, the Senate passed a similar bill and part of the bill was passed by the House but then vetoed by Governor Phil Scott.

Current law is tipped significantly to favor corporations who can attempt to avoid responsibility for paying for the harm they cause by arguing that they met certain permit or industry standards that should shield them from liability. As a result, innocent victims and Vermont taxpayers can be left to pay the costs of harm caused by toxic pollution. 

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Rep Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) today re-introduced bipartisan legislation in the House that requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take enforcement action against manufacturers labeling non-dairy products as dairy. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) cosponsored the Senate version of the bill introduced today by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc) and Sen James Risch (R-Idaho).

Vermont Business Magazine If your household income is less than $54,000 annually, then you probably qualify to have your taxes done for free through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)Program at Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). Check the CVOEO Website at www.cvoeo.org to confirm eligibility, and to learn what to bring to your tax appointment. Then all one has to do is call 211 and choose Option 5 to make an appointment. 

You can also get your Renter Rebate completed with Travis Poulin on Tuesdays or Saturdays, by contacting him for an appointment at 862-2771 ext. 736 or email [email protected].

Vermont Business Magazine Tech support scams are back on the rise. Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan is alerting Vermonters about a tech support scam as part of a nationwide crackdown on fraudsters who try to trick consumers into buying fake tech support and repair services. The tech support scam is the third most common scam reported to the AG’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP). The scam uses fake pop-up ads purporting to be Microsoft, or another legitimate company, to lure consumers to send money for virus protection or other tech support. This scam may also be done by phone.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Business Association has announced the 2019 BBA Award Winners. These awards honor innovative business practices, individual contributions, and architectural achievements. Award winners will be honored 41st BBA Annual Dinner on April 4, 2019, at the Hilton Burlington. Citizen Cider is the 2019 Business of the Year; Business Person of the Year is Larry Williams; Architectural Excellence Award is the University of Vermont Alumni House.

Comprehensive Plan Includes Up to $2,500 in Incentives for New Electric Vehicles, Plug-In Hybrids, Pre-owned Electric Vehicles, and Enhanced Rebate for Low-and Moderate-Income Customers with Free Home Charger  

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power is launching a new way for Vermonters to cut carbon and fight climate change by driving electric.  All GMP customers buying or leasing a new all-electric vehicle can now get a $1,500 rebate, new plug in hybrid customers can get $1,000, and customers getting pre-owned EVs can get a $750 rebate. Low and moderate income GMP customers can qualify for an extra $1,000 on all-electric vehicles for up to $2,500 in rebates. These are among the largest electric vehicle rebates offered to customers by any utility in the country. The GMP savings can be used in addition to dealer discounts already being offered plus up to $7,500 in federal tax credits.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Interfaith Power and Light (www.vtipl.org) has announced that through the Katy Gerke Memorial Program, five (5) Vermont churches received matching grants that helped them to implement energy efficiency projects during 2018; and, year-to-date in 2019, three (3) additional matching grants have been awarded.  These grants have helped churches to obtain professional energy audits, install insulation, energy efficient HVAC equipment, energy efficient lighting and weatherization that will reduce their operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions.  

The churches awarded matching grants in 2018, and year-to-date in 2019 are:

•  United Church of Dorset and East Rupert

•  East Arlington Federated Church

•  St. John Vianney Church, South Burlington

•  Shelburne United Methodist Church

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce will honor all the Hospitality Award Winners at the 36th Annual Vermont Tourism Summit on April 4th, 2019 at the Doubletree by Hilton, Burlington. Chef of the Year is Chef-Owner Sarah Natvig of The Black Krim Tavern in Randolph. Restaurateur of the Year is Brian and Karen Zecchinelli of the Wayside Restaurant, Bakery & Creamery in Montpelier. Innkeeper of the Year is Peter MacLaren of the West Hill House B&B in Warren. And the Tourism Partner of the Year is Paula Maynard of Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home.

“These awards celebrate our hospitality and tourism industry’s vast contributions to the economy and acknowledge these award winners as stand-out achievers within Vermont,” said Ronda Berns, Vice President of Tourism for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, who will be presenting the awards. “These are the individuals who exemplify the Vermont brand,” she added. 

Vermont Business Magazine PC Construction, an employee-owned company headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont, has been awarded $88,511 in Department of Economic Development, Vermont Training Program grant monies. Funding will be used to supplement PC Construction’s overall training initiatives, which target technical, business, management and leadership skills for the company’s employee-owners. Specific areas of training include construction contracting, financial management, and leadership competency development. 

Burlington Telecom finally transferred to Schurz Communications

Vermont Business Magazine Over the last two days, the City of Burlington closed on the transfer of Burlington Telecom to Schurz Communications, marking the final step in the resolution of the city’s years-long financial crisis. The closing was announced Wednesday afternoon by Mayor Miro Weinberger. The closing follows the City Council’s 2014 unanimous decision to transfer Burlington Telecom to Blue Water LLC as part of the settlement agreement with Citibank; the Vermont Public Utility Commission’s February 19, 2019, order to grant certificates of public good and approve the sale; and Monday’s City Council 11-1 vote to authorize the final transaction between Blue Water LLC and Champlain Broadband, which is the local affiliate of Schurz Communications. Schurz is based in South Bend, Indiana. Despite the ownership change, it will still go by Burlington Telecom.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate today gave preliminary approval of a measure that would for the first time regulate so-called third-party administrators, the firms that handle Vermonters’ health reimbursement arrangements, health spending accounts and flexible spending accounts. The measure, supported by Vermont-NEA as well as the administration of Gov. Phil Scott, emerged a year after thousands of educators’ medical claims and spending accounts were mishandled in the wake of new health insurance plans that went into effect on January 1, 2018. 

Many of those educators are still sifting through the chaos wrought by the failure of third-party administrators to properly process claims and reimbursements. Many educators and their families avoided medical procedures, left prescriptions unfilled, and were refused care because of unpaid bills. Some were also threatened with collection agencies because of the unpaid bills.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General Donovan and attorneys general from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Wisconsin today joined the coalition challenging President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency and his attempt to divert funding appropriated by Congress for other purposes. With these additional states, the coalition challenging the declaration includes 20 attorneys general. The coalition alleges that the Trump Administration’s emergency declaration and diversion of funds is unconstitutional and otherwise unlawful. The group seeks to block the Trump Administration’s emergency declaration, the unauthorized construction of the border wall, and any illegal diversion of Congressionallyappropriated funds.