Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Congressman Welch (D-Vermont) issued scathing statements Thursday afternoon after President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Republican Governor PhilScott also disagreed with the president's decision, but was more measured in his response.

Vermont Business MagazineThe fourth annual FreshTracks Road Pitch, a five-day motorcycle tour of Vermont in which a gang of “business bikers” (comprised of investors, entrepreneurs and business advisors) ride around the state and stop in ten Vermont towns to listen to entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts, will be heldJuly 31st through August 4th 2017. Entrepreneurs interested in pitching their concept or business to the riders should contact one of the local organizers noted below in order to apply for a pitch slot.At each of the 10 stops the riders will award a “Riders Choice Prize” of $500 and a special edition “Vermont Biker Bear” contributed by Vermont Teddy Bear.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s congressional delegation announced Thursday that Vermont has received $3 million in AmeriCorps funding. In a joint statement, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) said, “AmeriCorps continues to make an enormous impact on the lives of people in Vermont and throughout the United States. We are pleased these funds will allow volunteers to continue to do this important work.”

The federal investment includes five grants totaling $1.6 million, which will support 191 AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps members will engage in a range of work, including environmental conservation, mentoring disadvantaged youth, and pursuing opioid abuse prevention strategies.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Anthony Roisman, Esq as the next chair of the Public Service Board, the quasi-judicial regulatory board that oversees the siting of energy infrastructure, as well as public utility rates and service quality. Roisman will assume the chair position on June 12and replaces Jim Volz, who was first appointed by Governor Jim Douglas in 2005 and reappointed by Governor Peter Shumlin in 2011. Volz's term is expiring.

Roisman is an attorney in private practice. He consults with attorneys on environmental litigation, public participation before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state regulatory agencies, and on the admissibility of expert testimony in complex litigation.

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center (CSC), a nonprofit with a mission to provide community access to Lake Champlain, today announced Owen Milne as the new Executive Director of the organization. He takes over from Mark Naud. Milne previously held positions at Red Thread as a workplace consultant and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility as the Development Director. His service to Vermont non-profits through board or committee positions is extensive, including United Way of Northwest Vermont and Leadership Champlain.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) announced Thursday that three southern Vermont organizations will share a total of $700,000 in Brownfields Program assessment and cleanup grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The grants are for projects in Brattleboro, Bellows Falls and Bennington. Brownfields grants allow communities to assess and clean up contaminated properties to facilitate their redevelopment and reuse.

Vermont Business Magazine More beer, more visitors, cleaner water, less waste? That’s what the team at The Alchemist have accomplished with their new brewery in Stowe, and they were recently recognized for their environmental success with an award from the Green Mountain Water Environment Association (GMWEA). Steve Miller, Lead Cellar and Water Operator for The Alchemist, was presented with the award at GMWEA’s spring meeting at the Killington Grand Hotel on Thursday, May 25. Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation nominated the Alchemist for the award, which is presented each year for demonstrated commitment to clean water and pollution prevention, including implementation of water or wastewater treatment changes to address problems common to similar industries.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Last July, as Vermont Gas Systems built its pipeline extension from Chittenden County to Middlebury, the town of Monkton became a battleground for the contentious project. Vermont Gas was already spending more on the pipeline than it anticipated and was fending off lawsuits, fracking protesters and disgruntled residents, some of whom were facing a land taking. Vermont Gas also encountered the harsh sunflower, a “rare, threatened, or endangered (RTE) plant species.”

A communication breakdown between Vermont Gas and its contractor led to 77 of the 2,004 harsh sunflower plants in a Monkton field being mown down, which resulted in $59,000 in penalties. The case was finally resolved by the Public Service Board last week.

Vermont Business Magazine Just one-year after a bitter contract battle nearly led to a teacher strike, the Burlington School Board and the teacher’s union are once again far apart for a new contract. Last year's settlement only delayed a long-term solution. The two sides engaged in a seven-hour contract mediation session Wednesday without reaching a settlement. For salary, the Board is offering a 1.75 percent increase in FY18 and 2.0 percent in FY19. This would mean an average salary increase of $1,241 per teacher in the first year and $1,469 in the second year. The teacher’s union is seeking a 5.28 percent salary increase in one year, or $3,745 per teacher. Significant differences also remain in the areas of health insurance benefits and operational changes.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) invites grant applications for projects supporting economic and community development in rural areas. Grant funding is available to non-profits and public bodies through two programs: the Rural Community Development Initiative Program and the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program.

“USDA Rural Development helps communities across Vermont and New Hampshire build their capacity to meet the needs of rural residents,” said Acting USDA Rural Development State Director for Vermont and New Hampshire Jon-Michael Muise. “By helping an essential community facility, such as a hospital, plan for an expansion, or supporting a housing non-profit in training residents on accessing safe and affordable housing, Rural Development’s programs invest in community led initiatives that will open economic doors across the two states.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont political leaders and activists are joining a national call to support #MillionsOfJobs, a coalition effort to enact a 21st Century New Deal for Jobs. They are urging Congress and the Trump Administration to ensure that any federal public infrastructure spending in Vermont invests in clean air, clean water, and rebuilding our state’s crumbling roads and bridges. This proposal includes core principles that must be true of any jobs and infrastructure plan that passes into law. Political leaders, environmentalists and union members are meeting at noon Thursday in Montpelier, on State Street Bridge over the North Branch of the Winooski River near Capitol Grounds coffee shop.

Their principles include:

• Prioritizing public investment over corporate giveaways;

• No selling off public roads and bridges to investors and foreign companies;

Vermont Business Magazine Energize Vermont is launching The Vermont Neighbors Project to describe life near Vermont’s wind electricity plants. The group opposes large-scale wind projects in Vermont. The project’s website, VTNeighbors.org, features videos of Vermonters describing how being placed in the shadow of wind turbines has affected them and their children. The new Public Service Board rules on large wind projects limits noise to neighboring homes to a large degree for health reasons.