Current News

Vermont Business Magazine New unemployment claims in Vermont fell last week and remain at a relatively low level. Levels this year, which have been running consistently lower than those of last year, have edged closer to levels from 2013. For the week of September 27, 2014, there were 360 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is a decrease of 38 from the previous week's total, and 48 fewer than they were a year ago.

Altogether 3,504 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 109 from a week ago and 477 fewer than a year ago. The Department processed 2 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), one fewer from the previous week.

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org State agencies are being asked to stick to their strategic plans while drafting budget cuts up to 5 percent for fiscal year 2016, which starts next July 1. Instructions from Governor Peter Shumlin’s administration include notification that departments will be expected to absorb higher payroll costs stemming from the Pay Act. Two versions of their proposed budgets — one at level funding and one reflecting a potential 5 percent reduction — are due October 10 for most agencies.

Also next week, administration officials will meet with staff from the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Office to find consensus on projected budget gaps the state will need to fill. Chief Fiscal Officer Steve Klein said Thursday he expects it will be in the range of $90 million to $120 million.

“It’s definitely not a happy number,” Klein said.

Michael Snyder, the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, announced today that over $700,000 is available in outdoor recreation grants via the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). These funds will be available to municipalities around the state to conserve lands and develop infrastructure dedicated to outdoor recreation. Since 1964, the LWCF program has granted more than $48 million in projects and provided 27,000 acres of land for outdoor recreation in Vermont.“Outdoor recreation is a crucial component of Vermont’s economy and quality of life,” said Commissioner Snyder. “We are pleased to offer this opportunity to communities across the state to preserve and improve their recreation experience.”

Vermont Business Magazine Top Masters in Education, a resource for educators looking to enhance their own educational foundation, has published a list of the top paying school districts per state based on the average pay of all teachers in the district. At the top of the list is New York's Scarsdale School District ($107, 013) which serves students just north of New York City. A distant second, paying almost $30,000 less, is Massachusetts' Nantucket Public Schools ($73,700). Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire were all similar to each other. The Rutland City Public Schools is the highest in Vermont at $54,300; Westbrook Schools (near Portland) is Maine's highest at $57,340; and Stratham (Southwest of Portsmouth) Administrative Unit 16 is New Hampshire highest at $54,810.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org Investors in a Northeast Kingdom development question whether a state official was watching out for their best interests. In complaints to the state, they allege that Brent Raymond, the executive director of the Vermont Regional Center, was not playing enough of a watchdog role in his oversight of the Tram Haus Lodge project at Jay Peak. Raymond is charged with monitoring a novel investment program being used for development in the Northeast Kingdom.

A series of emails obtained by VTDigger shows that Raymond, who is charged with overseeing EB-5 projects in the state, has a close relationship with Bill Stenger, the CEO and president of Jay Peak.

Following a recent dispute between Stenger and a group of investors, Raymond assured Stenger he was “a great man” in a July email.

Intercept Corporation, a North Dakota company that processes electronic payments, will pay $75,000 to Vermont consumers and pay the State of Vermont $10,000 to settle claims that the company violated Vermont consumer protection laws. “Vermont currently has the strongest law in the nation to combat predatory high-interest, unlicensed loans – loans that historically were called payday loans,” said Attorney General William H Sorrell. “Our consumer protection law makes payment processors and others who assist illegal lenders directly responsible for the harms caused by illegal loans. This is the second settlement against a payment processor and a further warning to those who assist illegal lenders.” More information on illegal lending and the Attorney General’s efforts can be found here.

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc, (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology and WB Mason Co, Inc, the largest privately owned office products dealer in the United States, announced a multi-year agreement to offer WB Mason's SHAZAM coffee in K-Cup packs for the Keurig hot brewing system in away-from-home channels. SHAZAM will be the first brand to come into the Keurig family from a Keurig Authorized Distributor.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) Friday announced a $278,631 federal grant under the new Farm Bill to support specialty crops in Vermont. The grant will support maple producers, organic specialty crop farmers and herb growers among others and is a 33 percent increase in investment in specialty crops in Vermont from the previous year.

Over 300 people crowded into the Brooks House Atrium to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Brooks House on Friday, October 3. The renovation cost $24 million. Speakers all praised the determination and can do attitude that it took to save the landmark building and make it a center of economic development in Brattleboro. Speakers included Governor Peter Shumlin along with Brooks House Development Bob Stevens and Larry Cassidy, along with Congressman Peter Welch, Joyce Judy, president of CCV and Dan Smith, president of VTC.

Governor Shumlin said: "Only in Windham County, only in Brattleboro, can you take on the impossible and make the dream happen."

ECFiber continued its unique funding process by closing on the sale of $510,000 of privately placed promissory notes, purchased by 36 different individuals. This included $200,000 that ECFiber was asked to contribute to the 51 mile Business Broadband Improvement District (BBID) project the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) announced June 30, to connect BBIDs in Braintree, Brookfield, North Randolph, Pomfret and Sharon.

According to ECFiber CEO, Stan Williams, “The combination of the VTA’s projects and our own planned expansion will allow us to have a presence in 19 of our 24 member towns, and will provide an excellent base on which to expand within these towns as well as our remaining uncovered member towns.”

As the nights grow colder, the Agency of Agriculture’s Consumer Protection Division is reminding Vermonters to takes steps to ensure they “get what they pay for” when heating their homes.

“With winter approaching, it’s important for Vermonters to know there are rules in place to govern transactions related to fuel and firewood,” according to Henry Marckres, Chief of the Consumer Protection Division of the Agency of Agriculture.

Whether you use fuel oil, kerosene, propane, or firewood, the Agency would like to share the following guidelines to help ensure the fuel you buy measures up:

Fuel