Current News

by Representative Jill Krowinski Alongside so many Vermonters, I am devastated and outraged by the brutal killing of George Floyd, as well as the ongoing deaths and horrendous mistreatment of so many black and brown people in our communities and nation. As a white woman leader, I am working to become more conscious of my privilege and feel a strong urgency to use my platform to speak up and speak out against this injustice.

Vermont Business Magazine This week, FEMA announced that the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) National Board will begin disbursing $320 million to assist organizations in communities across the country dedicated to providing food, shelter and supportive services to people with economic emergencies, including our nation's hungry and homeless populations. Vermont received a total of $250,001.

Congress appropriated $200 million of this funding as supplemental humanitarian funding in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Congress also appropriated $120 million in Fiscal Year 2019 annual funding to the EFSP. The funding, totaling $320 million, will be awarded by jurisdictions (counties or cities) to human service organizations assisting those in need throughout the country.

Vermont Business Magazine Until the recent COVID-19 restrictions, the number of Vermont homes used as short-term rentals has ticked up each year, according to a recent analysis by Vermont Housing Finance Agency. In a typical month last year, about 8,000 homes were listed as short-term rentals across the state. Largely located in towns near Vermont ski areas, homes rented for short-term stays comprise about 2.5% of the state’s total housing stock, according to data from AirDNA, a service that aggregates listings from Airbnb, VRBO, and other popular short-term rental companies.

Small Business Administration The Paycheck Protection Program provides small businesses with funds for payroll costs and utilities. More than $100 Billion in PPP funds are still available. The recent passage of the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act allows small businesses to use funds up to 24-weeks and have the option of extending the life of the loan from two years to five. SBA will forgive loans if funds are used as intended.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the opening of the application for appointment as the public member to the Racial Equity Task Force. The Task Force will be chaired by the State’s Executive Director of Racial Equity Xusana Davis and include up to seven additional members, including one member of the public. It will submit recommendations to the governor on the first project by August 15 and preliminary recommendations on the second and third by December 15.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness stated today that 1,110 Vermonters experienced literal homelessness on a one-day count January 22, 2020, although this number suggests that as a state we have been able to stabilize our homeless population, this is no longer the case. As COVID-19 struck, the state of homelessness in Vermont has changed drastically. As of the end of May 2020, there are currently 1,489 persons in state funded General Assistance (GA motels).

Vermont Business Magazine Effective June 15, 2020, some intra-squad activities and practices can begin to take place. Group numbers, including players, coaches and officials, may not exceed current limits on social gatherings – currently 25 or fewer individuals. On Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 3:00pm, Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Heather Pelham and Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Ted Brady will host a webinar to discuss implementing and understanding the recently released restart guidance for the lodging sector.​

Vermont Business Magazine At Monday’s press briefing, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said as testing efforts continue, we are getting a clearer picture of the outbreak of COVID-19 that emerged in Winooski about two weeks ago. The outbreak is now known to include people in neighboring Burlington. As of Sunday evening, a total of 62 cases are believed to be associated with the outbreak: 48 residents of Winooski, 9 Burlington residents, and 5 from other towns in Chittenden County. That includes 38 adults, and the rest children. People range in age from 1 to 64 years, with a median age of 21.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott once again began his media briefing today by supporting the demonstrations that happened across the state over the weekend regarding the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent Black Lives Matter response. He said he was proud of Vermonters both for the stand they're taking and for the peaceful way in which they’re doing it.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility Last week, House and Senate leadership announced plans to move forward with an immediate economic relief bill modeled largely off of the grant programs detailed in the Scott Administration's Restart Vermont Economic Recovery Package pitched last month. As a refresher, Governor Scott's plan would use $400 million of the $1.25 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) Vermont received through the CARES Act.

Vermont Business Magazine At Governor Phil Scott’s press conference today, a reporter asked about a rumored positive case of COVID-19 associated with Mountain View Center located in Rutland, which is a longterm care facility. Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, stated that there was a positive case, and that facility-wide testing was being planned. Unfortunately, Dr. Levine was not aware of additional information learned this morning – that the test result was determined to be a false positive.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America, today announced Play It Forward, a newly launched employee and community-centric philanthropic platform designed to support the local community during COVID-19 and beyond. As part of Killington Resort’s Play Forever corporate responsibility commitment to protecting the environment and enabling participation, Play It Forward engages charitable giving through partnerships with local community foundations.