Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Nearly 50,000 Vermont Gas customers will see their natural gas bills go down this month. The company announced today a rate decrease of 0.26 percent goes into effect this month for residential customers. The company provides natural gas service in Franklin and Chittenden counties. This is the 11^th time Vermont Gas has lowered rates since January 1, 2012. Vermont Gas customers’ rates have decreased by more than 15 percent in that period.

“The cost of home energy use is a challenge for too many Vermonters. Our aim is to offer more households a practical, affordable choice,” said Don Rendall, President and CEO of Vermont Gas Systems. “This modest rate reduction is part of our overall commitment to keep rates competitive and affordable for both our current and future customers.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin has appointed Colin Ryan of Burlington to the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW). Established in 1964, VCW is a non-partisan state government commission advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. Sixteen volunteer commissioners and representatives from twenty-five organizations concerned with women’s issues guide VCW’s public education, coalition building, and advocacy efforts. Commissioners serve four-year terms and are appointed by the Governor, Senate and House leadership, and the Republican and Democratic parties.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin announced today that he will appoint attorney Brian Valentine, presently of the Burlington law firm Mickenberg, Dunn, Lachs & Smith, PLC, as Magistrate Judge of the Family Division of Vermont’s Superior Courts. Valentine fills the seat left open by the retirement of Magistrate Judge Shelley Gartner.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Rotary Club Foundation has transfered $11,500 to Pure Water for the World for a major Haitian roject. Using a significant portion of funds raised through the active efforts and projects of the members, The Burlington Rotary can support bringing clean water to Cite Soleil, one of the world's poorest slums located in Port au Prince, Haiti. This contribution will help bring clean drinking water to a known area of desparate need.

The implementation of this contribution is expected to be this week. For more information regarding Rotary, its Pure Water for the World's Cite Soleil project, and other events, Link to http://www.burlingtonvtrotary.org

Source: Burlington Rotary Club. 8.5.2015. The Burlington Rotary Club meets Mondays at noon at Burlington's Hilton Hotel.

Vermont Business Magazine All three of the major General Fund revenue components exceeded targets in July, according to results released today by the Vermont Secretary of Administration. General Fund revenues totaled $105.35 million. This is +$1.10 million or +1.06% ahead of the monthly forecast target of $104.24 million. The Personal Income (the most important single revenue source), Corporate and Sales taxes all exceeded their targets, if only slightly. The one component that failed to meet its target was the Inheritance/Estate (notoriously hard to predict) and the “Other” category.

The current month’s results are +$4.35 million higher than the results for July of last year (FY 2015). July is the first month of the new fiscal year 2016. The new fiscal year revenue targets were adopted by the Vermont Emergency Board on July 27, 2015.

Vermont Business Magazine A common plant found along roadsides and open areas may not appear harmful but its sap contains a chemical that causes serious skin reactions when exposed to sunlight. The plant tends to be taller than other roadside plants with a slight yellow flower. The sap, or juice, inside the stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of the wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.), also called “poison parsnip,” contains chemicals called psoralens. Contact with the sap causes a chemical burn in the presence of sunlight, a condition known as phytophotodermatitis.

by John McClaughry The Public Service Department is hard at work updating the state’s 2011 Comprehensive Energy Plan. This herculean task requires putting together the products of at least nine working groups and reports over the past five years, ever mindful of the 2006 mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to as much as 75 percent below the 1990 baseline by 2050, to “lower the state’s contribution to global warming.”

The central driver of these plans is Governor Shumlin’s 2011 decree that the state must obtain 90 percent of its total energy from renewable sources by 2050. This decree, incidentally, has never been voted on by elected legislators, even though every year they are asked to approve ever more legislation to achieve it.

Vermont Business Magazine Special Olympics Vermont welcomed three new staff members in 2015: Caitlin Jenkins, Daniel Favand, and Rachel Hamm, all of Burlington. In April, Caitlin Jenkins became the Community Development Manager for Special Olympics Vermont. Caitlin graduated from the University of Windsor located in Ontario, Canada with a Masters in Human Kinetics. Before joining the SOVT staff, Caitlin worked for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games, and US Lacrosse.

Daniel Favand assumed the role of Operations Manager in April. Daniel graduated from Geneva College in Pennsylvania with a B.A. Prior to Special Olympics Daniel obtained a masters of social science from the University of Edinburgh in Ireland.

Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing After years of watching other states attempt to position themselves as autumn destinations, Vermont has thrown down the gauntlet and declared itself the home of the World’s Best Foliage. “No one does foliage better than Vermont,” declared Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin. “Three-quarters of our state is forested, and we have the highest percentage of maple trees in the country. With our flaming reds, blazing oranges and glowing yellows, we have the most vibrant fall colors in the world.”

Vermont Business Magazine The City of Burlington today is warning the public against a fraudulent job posting listed on Craigslist. The job posting is for “Airport Office Assistant,” which is not a current opening in the City of Burlington. This posting was not made by the City and is not connected to the City in any way. It has been reported to the City that when replying to the fraudulent Craigslist advertisement, the respondent is then asked for his or her social security number. The City of Burlington does not ask for social security numbers on the City employment application, which is accessible on the Current Job Openings page of the City website.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine How many and when jobs will be cut at Vermont's largest for-profit business is not certain at this point, but Keurig Green Mountain, Inc (NASDAQ: GMCR) said its workforce will be reduced by 5 percent system-wide, which would mean about 330 jobs. Governor Peter Shumlin said it will affect about 200 Vermonters, with most of the local layoffs hitting the Waterbury facility that makes its single-serve machines. Shares of GMCR fell rapidly Wednesday afternoon on news that revenues were below expectations and lower than the previous quarter. Keurig, based in Waterbury, Vermont, released its third quarter 2015 results showing a 5 percent decline in net sales. It also announced a $1 billion stock repurchase plan.

Vermont Business Magazine EPA is awarding a total of $2 million in Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup Grant dollars to municipalities and organizations across the state of Vermont. Additionally, three communities have been selected by the State of Vermont for inclusion in the Brownfield Economic Revitalization Alliance (BERA) program.

The EPA Brownfields grants, funded by EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, and Cleanup grant program, provide communities with funding necessary to assess, clean up and ultimately redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment.