Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont, leading a 16-state coalition, filed Public Comments with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in which the coalition urged DOJ to expand the allowed uses for funds allocated to the states under a proposed partial settlement between the United States, the State of California and Volkswagen. The settlement (Partial Consent Decree) requires Volkswagen to pay $2.7 billion into a trust which the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Indian Tribes may use for mitigation projects designed to reduce nitrogen oxide (“NOx”) emissions (a pollutant that contributes to smog and acid rain).

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is encouraging members to conserve energy on Thursday, August 11 and Friday August 12, between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. This is when demand for electricity is expected to spike as a result of high temperatures throughout New England. Here is what people can do to help beat the peak during those hours.

• Turn off all unnecessary lights.

• Delay the use of major appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers until after the alert time has passed.

• Turn off air conditioning or raise your thermostat by 3 degrees.

Vermont Business Magazine The first meeting of the Study Committee on Land Use Regulation and Forest Integrity is scheduled for August 18, 2016 from 8:00 am – 11:00 am in the Catamount Conference room at the Agency of Natural Resources main offices in Montpelier at 1 National Life Drive, Davis 2. The Study Committee on Land Use Regulation and Forest Integrity was created by the Legislature in section 18 of Act 171 of the 2016 session. As stated in the Act, the Committee is established “to study potential revisions to 10 V.S.A. chapter 151 (Act 250) and to 24 V.S.A. chapter 117, subchapter 7 (bylaws) to protect contiguous areas of forestland from fragmentation and promote habitat connectivity between forestlands.” 

Vermont Business Magazine Ski NH, the statewide trade association representing alpine and cross country resorts across New Hampshire, has partnered with Vermont's Inntopia, the leading e-commerce and central reservation platform for destination travel in North America, to sell ski tickets to participating ski areas in the Ski NH ticket program. Inntopia will help Ski NH provide an intuitive and enjoyable experience for its customers as well as help Ski NH with increased operational and administrative efficiencies. “We are very excited about our partnership with Inntopia,” said Jessyca Keeler, Executive Director at Ski NH. “We needed a system that delivers ease of use for our consumers, our Ski NH team, and the resort ticketing staff. Inntopia’s intuitive yet powerful platform will meet our needs and provide additional operational functionality that will benefit our sales and marketing efforts.”

by Chris Graff So much for this being the year of the political outsider. Not so in Vermont. The two insiders easily won the Democratic and Republican nominations for governor. Of the five leading candidates for governor, three – Matt Dunne, Peter Galbraith and Bruce Lisman – trumpeted that it was time for a change, time for a new direction. Those three lost. The winners – Sue Minter and Phil Scott – focused on their resumes, their accomplishments and their abilities to get things done.

What’s even more interesting is that Minter and Scott were the optimists. Their perspectives were sunny-side up. Both of them kept their messages positive – unusual in a year in which national politics have been focused on the sky falling in.

This primary election was a rollercoaster, with twists and turns.

The irony is that even though it was one of the longest primary campaigns in history, the contest was roiling down to the final days.

Vermont Business Magazine At the end of the day, none of the big-name races turned out to be close. On the Republican side, the contentious nominating race for governor finished with a significant win for Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott over businessman Bruce Lisman. On the Democratic side, former Transportatioin Secretary Sue Minter won going away from former Google executive Matt Dunne. Other than the margin of victories at the top of the tickets, perhaps the biggest surprise was state Senator David Zuckerman easilty beating Speaker of the House Shap Smith in the Democratic race for lieutenant governor. Zuckerman will face Republican Randy Brock, the former state auditor, who ran uncontested.

This was a historically rare primary, as both parties fielded contested races. The last three Republican candidates in an open race for governor were virtually uncontested in their primaries: Richard Snelling, Jim Douglas and Brian Dubie.

Vermont Business Magazine Dan Bennett has been named president and chief executive officer at Gifford Health Care in Randolph. He brings 17 years of leadership experience in small community healthcare organizations, most recently as chief operating officer at Waldo County Healthcare in Belfast, Maine, a position he held for eight years. Prior to that he was executive director and chief financial officer at the Mid-Coast Mental Health Center in Rockland, Maine. Bennett, who will start at Gifford on October 3, 2016, rose to the top of the candidate pool early in a national search that began after Joseph Woodin’s departure in April.

Dan Bennett

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power residential customers have a new option for saving money on their electric bills with the Empower Rate, a pilot program which provides incentives for reducing energy use at peak times. This program is voluntary and could benefit those customers who are interested in saving money by reducing their energy use for up to ten “critical peak energy days” throughout the year.

“As Vermont’s Energy Company of the future, finding new ways to empower our customers to save money is really important to us,” said Kristin Carlson, Green Mountain Power’s Chief Communication Executive. “These innovative rate options will reward customers directly for partnering with us to reduce energy a few days each year when the electric system is experiencing extremely high use.”

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont is seeking comments on a draft implementation plan for the restoration of Lake Champlain. The plan, entitled "Vermont Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL Phase 1 Implementation Plan," outlines actions the State must take to reduce phosphorus pollution sources that currently compromise State waters. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a set of phosphorus pollution targets in June that the State must meet in its phase 1 plan.

Algae bloom. CLF photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has the 18th-highest closing costs in the country, according to a new Bankrate.com report. In Vermont, closing costs average $2,178 on a $200,000 loan ($1,075 origination + $1,103 third-party). That’s slightly above the national average of $2,128. Hawaii has the highest mortgage closing costs in the country and Pennsylvania has the lowest, according to the Bankrate.com (NYSE: RATE) report. Based on a $200,000 loan, Hawaii’s closing costs averaged out to $2,655 while Pennsylvania’s closing costs were $1,837. The national average is $2,128.

“Thanks to the new and improved mortgage disclosures that the CFPB introduced last October, closing cost estimates have become more accurate because they mandate that lenders include all costs ahead of time,” said Holden Lewis, Bankrate.com’s senior mortgage analyst. “This is great for consumers who can now comparison shop with more confidence.”

Vermont Business Magazine Rates for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont will be going up 7.3 percent next year and rates for MVP will be going up 3.7 percent. The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) Tuesday announced its decisions on 2017 rate increase requests for health insurance plans offered on Vermont Health Connect (VHC), Vermont’s online health benefit exchange. The rates were filed by insurers on May 11, 2016 and were subject to a 90 – day technical analysis and review by the GMCB.  The review process included two days of rate hearings open to the public and public comment from almost 150 Vermonters. 

BCBSVT, which insures more than 77,500 Vermonters through VHC, requested an 8.2 percent average annual rate increase, later amended to an 8.6 percent, for its health plans offered on VHC with coverage beginning January 1, 2017. 

Vermont Business Magazine According to the Vermont Attorney General, Vermonters are continuing to report receipt of threatening recorded phone calls (robocalls) that claim to be from the IRS or the United States Treasury. Today, calls appear to be targeting Barre, Brattleboro and Burlington. We can expect that calls will be directed at consumers in other municipalities later this week. The caller threatens arrest or legal action if an alleged outstanding debt to the IRS is not immediately paid. The caller demands payment by either cashier’s check, wire transfer, bank transfer, or other direct and immediate means of payment, such as a gift card. If the call is not answered, the caller then leaves a message that directs the consumer to call a phone number or face arrest. This is not the IRS calling – this is a scam.