Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington School District (BSD) Board of School Commissioners has announced that McPherson & Jacobson, LLC, Executive Recruitment and Development of Omaha, NE, has been selected to assist the Board in the important task of selecting superintendent candidates for the board to interview. Beginning immediately, the consultants and board commissioners will be meeting with community members to gather input regarding the qualities of the District’s next Superintendent. Superintendent Yaw Obeng announced in November that he would be stepping down June 30, 2020, after five years on the job.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan in St Albans today announced that his office filed a lawsuit against Pleasant Valley Farms of Berkshire, LLC and its operators Mark St Pierre and Amanda St Pierre for violations of Vermont’s agricultural laws and regulations. The alleged violations stem from actions at the Lumbra Farm in Berkshire, a dairy farm owned by the St Pierres that the state alleges is part of the Pleasant Valley Farms operation.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Council on Rural Development announced the launch of a new leadership program for Vermonters working to create climate solutions at the local level. The Climate Catalysts program will bring together 10 local leaders from all walks of life and all corners of Vermont to build peer connections, strengthen leadership skills, and receive support in developing a local project or initiative.

“This new program is a manifestation of VCRD’s core belief in the power of Vermont towns to build a prosperous future while leading in developing local climate solutions,” said VCRD Executive Director Paul Costello. “Through this program we will Invest in and support local leaders who are thinking creatively about the climate challenge and deeply committed to developing solutions.”

Vermont Business Magazine President Trump has signed into law bipartisan legislation championed by Representative Peter Welch that will crack down on unwanted and predatory robocalls.

Vermont Business Magazine According to United Van Lines, Americans are moving into Idaho, and Idaho is moving up—in the ranking of most popular 2019 moving destinations, that is. Vermont remains the highest by percentage, but with a small sample size. Still, Vermont is the only state to have achieved greater than a 70 percent in-bound rate, which it has done the last two years (74.3% in 2019 and 72.7% in 2018). Vermont also has increased its inbound rate every year for which data is available. In 2013, Vermont had more outbound than inbound (52.6% outbound) movers, but by 2014 (59.4% inbound) and every year since, the rate has gone up. According to United data, Vermont's migration demographic has also changed, as the inbound age has gotten older and, not surprisingly, wealthier. While the state's population has barely inched up during this period, other studies also have shown Vermont to be among the very top destinations for migration and the leader in the region.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to a work request issued by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (VAAFM), Atlantic Corporation performed extensive market research on Vermont maple syrup and value-added maple products to determine market conditions, trends in consumer demand, and current distribution channels with an eye towards the most advantageous strategies for Vermont maple producers to be competitive in a global market.

by John McClaughry On December 17 the Georgetown Law Center revealed its long-awaited Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) draft Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU). It will be open for on-line comments until February 28. At some point after that Gov. Scott will be asked to sign Vermont into TCI. Presumably the legislature would have to enact some provisions to make it enforceable on Vermont fuel dealers.

Here are twelve questions and answers that will explain what TCI is and expects to do.

Q: What is TCI? TCI is a multistate regional agreement to drive up the price of motor fuel (gasoline and on-road diesel). It proposes to start at five, nine or seventeen cents per gallon, and escalate upward from that, with no declared maximum.

25 Years, 2 Districts, facilitating over $42M of Financing for 1000 Miles of Fiber covering 4000+ Customers - to date

Vermont Business Magazine ValleyNet celebrated its 25th Birthday in November - their non-profit mission is to facilitate universal and effective Internet access. Theirtagline is “Lux Lucet in Deserto” - A Light Shining in the Wilderness (with apologies to Dartmouth College), evoking the importance of high speed fiber Internet service to interconnect our rural communities.

Vermont Business Magazine A national study found that states which rated highly for mental health care access also saw significant decreases in depression from 2014 to 2018. Massachusetts had the second-best access to mental healthcare and saw a 16% decrease in depression rates over a five year period. Vermont had the best access to mental healthcare and saw a 2.75% decrease in depression rates, but still finished 8th highest highest.

On the opposite end, states with low ratings to mental health care access mostly saw increases in depression rates from 2014 to 2018.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Public Power Supply Authority (VPPSA) is announcing several new rebate offerings to help customers of its municipal electric utility members adopt clean technology. Beginning January 1, 2020, customers can get more money back for heating, traveling, and even taking care of yard work using efficient electric appliances. To combat greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, which account for 47% of Vermont’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, VPPSA has increased electric vehicle rebate incentives and expanded offerings to include pre-owned vehicles and charging equipment. VPPSA member utility customers who purchase or lease an electric vehicle in 2020 can receive $1,000 back, increased from $800 in 2019. Customers who purchase or lease a plug-in hybrid can receive $500 back, increased from $400 in 2019.

by Brandon Arcari, Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board has approved Fiscal Year 2020 budgets for Vermont’s 14 regulated hospitals. The FY 2020 changes include a targeted 3.5 percent growth in net patient revenue over the previous year, and a weighted average increase in hospital charges by 3.1 percent. The GMCB ultimately approved a cut to the increase in system-wide net patient revenue from 4.6 to 4.3 percent, or $7.3 million less than the hospitals cumulatively requested but above the 3.5 percent goal.

​Vermont Business Magazine As expected, The University of Vermont Medical Center today named Stephen Leffler, MD, as its next president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. Dr Leffler had been serving as the interim president since his predecessor Eileen Whalen, RN, stepped down earlier this year. The hospital had said it would look internally for the next president. Whalen was brought in after an external search in 2015.