Current News

Vermont Business Magazine WCAX-TV news director Anson Tebbetts is once again leaving journalism to join state government. Governor-elect Phil Scott today announced four additional cabinet and extended cabinet appointments. Tebbetts has been appointed secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, and Representative Alyson Eastman will serve as deputy secretary, a position Tebbetts held in the Douglas Administration. The Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets works to support the viability and growth of Vermont’s agriculture industry, while protecting our landscape, environment, people and animals.

Anson Tebbetts. VBM file photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont property owner David Rogers of North Montpelier settled claims that he failed to file lead compliance statements for four rental properties in violation of Vermont consumer protection and lead laws. “Lead paint responsibilities do not go away. If you are a landlord with pre-1978 rental housing, the lead law requires annual compliance. The law also provides for penalties if you ignore or delay your lead paint duties,” said Attorney General Bill Sorrell.

Every landlord with pre-1978 rental properties is required to submit annual compliance statements which show that the landlords have performed the essential maintenance practices (known as EMPs) and that the properties are in compliance with the lead law. The Department of Health confirmed that Mr. Rogers had not filed current EMP compliance statements for this year for his four rental properties.

Vermont Business Magazine Mikaela Shiffrin is its latest star in what could be many more coming from Burke Mountain Academy. BMA celebrated the grand opening of the Ronnie Berlack Center (RBC) – a $2.8 million, 15,000 square foot, state of the art indoor athletic facility – this past weekend marking a new era for the athletic development of Burke student-athletes and ski racers around the country.  BMA also announced a comprehensive new partnership with the US Ski and Snowboard Association for year round training and development of elite ski racers from around the Eastern region and around the US, which is the first of its kind.

Vermont Business Magazine Spruce Peak at Stowe has announced a total of more than $70 million in closed and newly signed contracts in 2016, bolstered by the introduction of the 18 four-bedroom Village Townhomes in November 2016. To date, nine townhomes residences have sold, ranging from $1.8 to $2.2 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy applauded the US-Canada agreement to limit Arctic oil drilling, which was signed today by President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. “The President clearly listened to the countless voices of coastal residents who oppose the unnecessary risk that drilling poses to their way of life and to the coastal economies that depend on healthy oceans and pristine beaches," Leahy said in a statement. "I agree with the President that these risks, as well as those posed to the wildlife and marine life that call these oceans home, should not be jeopardized to enable multi-billion dollar corporations to benefit from risky offshore drilling activities. I applaud President Obama for today’s announcement, as well as that of the Canadian government.  This important cross border work with Canada ensures that a joint withdrawal of the Arctic will prevent irreparable harm to the rare and fragile Arctic ecosystem.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor-elect Phil Scott today announced he would reappoint Michael Pieciak as commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation. The department will also retain the deputy commissioners for each of its four divisions, which include Cynthia Stuart for Banking, Kaj Samsom for Insurance, William Carrigan for Securities, and David Provost for Captive Insurance. 

Michael Pieciak, Commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation. VBM photo

Vermont Business Magazine In its annual ratings, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has again ranked UVM among the top best-value public colleges in the country. To compile its best value list, Kiplinger’s first ranked schools based on measures of academic quality. It then factored in cost and financial aid measures. Quality criteria account for 55 percent of total points and cost criteria account for 45 percent.

Kiplinger’s draws its list of best value schools from a field of nearly 1,200 higher education institutions in the US. UVM was ranked 13th among all publics on the Kiplinger’s list for its four-year graduation rate. On the overall list, the university ranked 58th for in-state and 94th for out-of-state students among public colleges, respectively.

Vermont Business Magazine A Vermont political action committee will pay a civil penalty of $8,750 on account of reporting violations during the 2012 election cycle, according to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. Campaign finance reports filed by the Democratic Attorneys General Association PAC (“DAGA PAC”) contained inaccurate information and omitted key disclosures, including the source of the thousands of dollars in contributions it received. The complaint in this matter was investigated jointly by the Civil Division of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and Special Counsel Thomas A Little for the Committee of State’s Attorneys.

Vermont Business Magazine Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the Burlington Electric Department’s credit rating to A3 with a stable outlook from Baa1 with a stable outlook, representing the first time in more than six years that Burlington Electric has earned an “A” rating. Moody’s cited Burlington Electric’s forward-looking financial policies, diverse and renewable power supply, competitive rates, and strong and focused management as important factors for the increase.

Vermont Business Magazine Katherine McCann, a High School Mathematics Teacher at U-32 Middle and High School in East Montpelier; has been selected as the 2017 Vermont Teacher of the Year (VT-TOY); the Agency of Education announced today. In addition to teaching Advanced Placement Statistics, Geometry, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2; Katherine is also a National Board Certified Teacher (AYA-MATH), Presidential Award winner for Excellence in Teaching Math and Science, and Co-President of the Vermont Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Vermont Business Magazine A small business group in Vermont says Republicans in Congress and President-elect Trump have declared a plan to rush through legislation that would take away health care from more than 30 million people. Main Street Alliance of Vermont believes that the support Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s premium subsidies offer and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. If the ACA is repealed without a replacement, MSA-VT estimates that 35,000 Vermonters will lose their health insurance.

Vermont Business Magazine An Executive Order signed by Governor Peter Shumlin that gives businesses fighting climate change preference in the state contracting process has been finalized. The new policy applies to any contract over $25,000, which captures at least 97 percent of state contracting dollars. The state of Vermont spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year in contracts. The new policies do not supersede other contracting considerations such as cost or rewarding businesses based in Vermont or that manufacture products in Vermont. However, when all considerations are similar for a given contract, the new policies require that a business that has strong climate change and renewable energy policies will be given preference over one that does not.