Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Land Use Review Board (LURB) is hosting a public engagement session to gather input on planned expansions of the Act 250 permit program aimed at ensuring better protection of critical natural resource areas. The meeting is on May 22, from 6pm-8pm, and welcomes both in-person and remote participation. Attendees can join in person at the Act 250 hearing office at 111 West Street, Building 2, Essex Junction or remotely via Microsoft Teams. Vermont’s Act 250 development review system is undergoing significant changes following the passage of Act 181 of 2024.  The Legislature has tasked the LURB with developing rules and reviewing regional plans and maps to implement a new tiered framework of jurisdiction. While Act 250 jurisdiction is shrinking in downtown and village centers (Tier 1 areas), it is expanding in critical natural resource areas (Tier 3 areas).

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 14 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to challenge the president’s fake “energy emergency.” On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump declared a “national energy emergency” under the National Emergencies Act. Congress passed the National Emergencies Act to prevent presidents from declaring national emergencies for frivolous or partisan matters — to ensure this power is only used during actual emergencies. But now, at the direction of the president, federal agencies are bypassing or shortening critical reviews under the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act for certain energy projects. These laws play a critical role in protecting the environment and human health. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending May 3, 2025, fell sharply after they spiked to 778, their highest level since just after Christmas. An earlier spike at the beginning of March carried them over 600. New claims this week were 380, down 398 claims from the week before and are 60 fewer from last year. The end of the winter tourism season tends to increase claims, just as they do after holidays. Claims, which are lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. 

The Vermont State Police is identifying the victim of a hit-and-run crash in Pownal on May 8 as Adrienne Formel, 37, of Pownal. As of Friday morning, she was listed in critical but stable condition at Albany Medical Center in New York. VSP’s investigation into this crash remains active and ongoing. No arrests have been made. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Housing and Community Development today announced the 2025 recipients of Vermont Downtown Transportation Fund awards. This year, the Community Investment Board chose eight Designated Downtowns and Village Centers to share $1,452,405 in funding. The Downtown Transportation Fund makes investments in infrastructure and public spaces, stimulates private investment, and creates a sense of identity and pride in Vermont’s downtowns by helping municipalities pay for transportation-related capital improvements within or serving a Designated Downtown or Village Center. 

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced today that the city will reduce its workforce by 25 positions, which will result in 18 workers being laid off. While the budget gap at $8 million for the new fiscal year is far smaller than the $14.2 million gap for FY25, the ability to balance the budget is far more difficult this time. She noted that city taxes increased in FY23 by 6%, FY24 by 6%, and FY25 by 11%. The City has grown unsustainably between FY15 and FY24, adding 98 FTE positions funded by general operating dollars for a total of just over 500 General Fund FTEs today. This growth includes about 37 positions which were created with one-time funding sources (federal or state grant or pandemic relief funding) and had no long-term sustainable funding mechanism identified. She said the city charter is outdated and does not allow property taxes to support expenses in a fair and predictable way for residents and government. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont dairy farmers have achieved a critical benchmark from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This winter, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (VAAFM) began a new USDA mandated milk sampling program.  The USDA goal was to proactively identify unknown highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infected dairy cattle.  VAAFM’s additional goal was to test all Vermont Grade A milk directly from each supplying Vermont dairy farm.  As of today, the testing had great news for farmers and consumers. The testing has NOT revealed any HPAI infected dairy cattle. These encouraging results have led to a declaration by the USDA that Vermont is “unaffected” by HPAI in dairy cattle. With this declaration comes confidence that Vermont’s dairy cattle herds are healthy and producing HPAI free milk for the marketplace.  Vermont is the first state in New England to achieve this status. 

Vermont Business Magazine In a powerful move to support the most vulnerable residents of Burlington, the Hoehl Family Foundation (HFF) has pledged a $200,000 challenge grant to support COTS in its capital campaign for a new Waystation homeless shelter. This generous commitment will not only directly fund the shelter’s renovation, but also aims to inspire the community to join in by matching the grant dollar-for-dollar, ultimately raising $400,000 to bring a state-of-the-art shelter to life. The HFF’s challenge grant is structured in two parts: an immediate donation of $100,000 and a second $100,000 once COTS has raised an additional $200,000. This generous support marks a turning point in COTS’s mission to provide a more dignified, trauma-informed space for adults facing homelessness in Chittenden County.

Vermont State Police During continued investigation of this morning’s crash in Pownal, the Vermont State Police has obtained video footage that shows two vehicles that were in the area of U.S. Route 7 and Vermont Route 346 around the time of the incident. VSP is looking for the public’s assistance in identifying the vehicles and the operators, who might have information relevant to the ongoing investigation. The vehicles are believed to be a Chevrolet Silverado and a Volkswagen sedan, either a Passat or a Jetta. Both are white with unknown license plates. They were headed southbound on U.S. Route 7 and are known to have crossed into Massachusetts, last seen on North Hoosac Road heading toward the town of North Adams. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Amy Siegel, 48, of Middlesex, Vermont, was arraigned on two counts of felony Medicaid Fraud. The charges brought against Ms. Siegel are the result of an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) and the Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), which found Ms. Seigel, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), had falsely billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services that she did not provide, defrauding Vermont Medicaid of over $40,000 in public health care funds. In addition, Ms. Siegel failed to maintain patient records as required under her Medicaid Provider agreement.

Vermont Business Magazine The American Dental Education Association announced the inaugural cohort of grantees for its Pathways to Smiles program. Generously funded by the Delta Dental Institute through the second cohort of its Future Workforce Fund, and in collaboration with the National Area Health Education Center Organization (NAO), Pathways to Smiles is a groundbreaking immersive training initiative. It is designed to expand oral health awareness and inspire the next generation of oral health professionals by engaging high school students from underserved and underrepresented communities where access to oral health education and resources may be limited. Among the grantees, Southern Vermont Area Heath Education Center (AHEC) received $8,000 to serve as an inaugural partner to implement the Pathways to Smiles oral health curriculum as part of its health professions training efforts. 

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium is expanding its all-fiber internet network in Chittenden County, in partnership with the Chittenden County Communications Union District (CCCUD). Fidium will bring symmetrical, multi-gig speed internet access to more than 1,800 homes and businesses, including unserved and underserved locations in Essex Town, Jericho, Shelburne, Westford and Williston. Fidium’s expansion is scheduled to begin as soon as May 12 in Shelburne and will continue for the CCCUD area this summer.