Current News

Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) Secretary David Dill and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee this week marked the one year anniversary of the Lake Champlain Bridge closure on October 16 of last year, noting the significant progress made to provide travelers, especially those located in the vicinity of the bridge and dependent on transportation across the lake in their daily lives, with a link across Lake Champlain between Crown Point, NY, and Addison, VT. Today, the temporary ferry service is still in place providing round-the-clock transportation across the lake at no cost to passengers, and the underwater structures for the new bridge are nearly completed.

Fletcher Allen reported an operating income of $17.3 million for the first three quarters of the 2010 fiscal year. This includes an operating income of approximately $10.3 million for the third quarter. The third quarter covers the period beginning April 1 and ending June 30.
Third Quarter Results
Operating income for the third quarter was $4.1 million above budget and $1.2 million below the corresponding quarter in FY 2009. Net operating revenues for the quarter were $222.8 million, $1.6 million above budgeted revenues. The organization's operating expenses for the quarter were $212.5 million, $2.6 million under budget, resulting in an operating income of approximately $10.3 million and an operating margin of 4.6% for the third quarter. By comparison, the organization produced an income from operations of $11.5 million in the third quarter of FY 2009.
Year-to-date Results

During a tour of MSA’s (Mine Safety Appliances Company) Newport factory on Tuesday, US Senator Patrick Leahy announced three new orders, under competitively bid contracts totaling $21 million, for the Army’s Advanced Combat Helmets (ACH). Leahy visited the facility to meet again with employees and to see the new work being done by MSA after a slowdown following the expiration of $6.4 million in earlier contract work secured by Leahy in 2008 and 2009.
‘It is truly gratifying to see MSA bounce back so strongly,’ said Leahy, who, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and of its Defense Subcommittee, has championed earlier investments in the firm.

Vermont seniors will have a new option for Medicare supplemental insurance coverage beginning January, 2011. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont today announced a new, competitively-priced plan designed to provide coverage for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and other out-of-pocket costs to newly-retired Medicare recipients.
The new Vermont Medigap Blue plan will be offered through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont’s affiliate, The Vermont Health Plan.
“This product offers attractive rates, discounts on health, travel and other supplies and services through Blue 365 and the peace of mind that comes with membership in Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the most trusted name in health coverage,” explained Dana Houlihan, product manager at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont’s individual products department. “We want more Vermonters to make the best out of retirement, without worrying about health care costs.”

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) today closed a section of Route 36 in Fairfield just east of Swamp Road due to a failed culvert. The road is expected to be closed into November until the Agency can erect a temporary bridge.
The average daily traffic for this section of Route 36, which is located 1.7 miles east of the St. Albans/Fairfield town line, is about 2,700 vehicles per day. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes, and to leave additional time to reach their destination.
“There are two culverts under the road in this location, and both are failing,” said VTrans Secretary David Dill. “Our inspectors determined that it is unsafe for the road to remain open, so we closed the roadway. Engineers have already been dispatched to assess what it will take to erect a temporary bridge, and we will restore traffic as quickly as possible.”

The Vermont Chronic Care Initiative (VCCI) was honored by the Care Continuum Alliance (CCA) as the winner of the “Outstanding Government Program” award at the organizations annual meeting in Washington D.C. The CCA Leadership Awards and Quality Impact Awards recognize leaders in health care for their efforts promoting health, reducing health risks and increasing the quality of care, particularly for those with chronic conditions. VCCI was recognized for its success in mitigating the impact of chronic conditions and increasing medication adherence among Medicaid beneficiaries.
“Vermont is proud to be recognized for our efforts by the Care Continuum Alliance,” said Governor Jim Douglas. “The Chronic Care Initiative is central to our efforts to improve the lives of Vermonters, while controlling health care costs. This award is another example of how Vermont is leading the nation in reforming our system of health care responsibly and effectively.”

Rock of Ages Corporation (NASDAQ:ROAC), based in Barre, announced Monday that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Swenson Granite Company LLC, based in Concord, NH. Shareholders of Rock of Ages will receive $5.25 per share in cash, valued at about $39 million, and Swenson Granite will acquire 100 percent ownership of Rock of Ages.
What this means for employment in Vermont is unknown at this time. Rock of Ages employs 230, according to Vermont Business Magazine. Net revenues in 2009 were $21,682,316. Net income was $802,324, or $.11 per share. The company lost over $2 million in 2008, or $.28 per share.

Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss today vetoed a City Council resolution proposing a charter change to the appointment, reappointment and removal process for City department heads. The resolution, which passed at the October 6 Council meeting, proposes to eliminate the Council’s annual vote on department head reappointments, change the standard for removal of a department head, and give Councilors unilateral authority to remove a department head as well as initiate removal proceedings (see http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/docs/2646.pdf).

Mack Molding’s Northern Operations, with three manufacturing facilities in Arlington and Cavendish, has been named an Environmental Partner by the state of Vermont. To be selected, a business must meet eight standards, all of which are geared toward waste management, pollution prevention and energy efficiency.
In addition to participating in an environmental assessment by the Vermont Small Business Development Center, Mack has:
â ¢ eliminated process water discharge at the East Arlington facility
â ¢ significantly reduced electrical usage by replacing 2,100 lighting
fixtures with high intensity fluorescent fixtures
â ¢ installed new high efficiency air compressors in two facilities
â ¢ reuses or recycles 920,000 lbs of plastic resin per year
â ¢ recycles 98,500 lbs of sheet metal per year
â ¢ recycles 45,000 lbs of cardboard per year
â ¢ purchases cleaning/maintenance products with post consumer recycled
content

The Department of Labor announced today that the state minimum wage will be increasing to $8.15 per hour from $8.06 per hour on January 1, 2011. Vermont’s minimum wage increases at the same rate as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as calculated in August, for the preceding year. This August, the CPI increased by one and one tenth percent (1.1%).
Additionally, the basic wage rate for ‘service and tipped’ employees is tied to the CPI. As such, the basic wage for such employees will be increasing to $3.95 per hour from $3.91. Service or tipped employees are individuals working in hotels, motels, tourist places, and restaurants who customarily and regularly receive more than $120.00 a month in tips for direct and personal service.
Tipped employees’, like other workers, total earnings during a pay period must equal or exceed $8.15 per hour. If a combination of tips and the basic wage do not meet that requirement, the employer must make up the difference.

Forbes magazine released its annual report on the Best States for Business and Vermont, once again, was near the bottom. What little good news one could take from this is that the state actually rose two spots to 45th. Utah took over number one from longtime leader Virginia.
Vermont was especially punished in the categories of business costs, regulation and growth prospects. The state's best categories were labor force (16) and quality of life (15). The latter seems to be somewhat of a head scratcher, perhaps, as states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania finished well ahead of Vermont, even though the description says it measured schools, health, crime, cost of living and poverty rates and that several other national rankings put Vermont near or at the top of states with the highest quality of life.

As the nation stands poised to elect one of the largest classes of new governors, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) has conducted an analysis, State Government Redesign Efforts 2009 and 2010, of state actions to streamline and downsize government to meet the new economic reality facing states. The study cites Vermont several times, especially in regards to savings in corrections and state worker compensation.
"States such as Colorado, Virginia, Vermont and Washington have introduced graduated sentencing policies to help shrink the population of nonviolent offenders. For example, Vermont enacted legislation in 2010 that creates a home confinement alternative for certain nonviolent offenders who would otherwise have been sentenced to prison."