Current News

The search is open for the new President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. A search committee, comprised of leading Vermont employers from diverse business sectors and sizes all around the state, has been convened by Vermont Chamber First Vice Chair Mark Saba.
Saba stated, Vermont s vibrant and diverse business community defines the Vermont Chamber s goals and priorities. The next President will take the reigns of the Green Mountain State s largest member-driven employer association.
Saba, Chair of the search committee, owns two auto dealerships in Central Vermont, and one in Rutland. As the Voice of Vermont Business, the Vermont Chamber, our new President, and our talented staff, will be on the forefront of growing Vermont s economy while enhancing the quality of life we all cherish, Saba said. The new Vermont Chamber President will have big shoes to fill.

Speaker of the House Shap Smith along with Agriculture Committee Chair Carolyn Partridge announced the House passage of a bill yesterday that will create more economic opportunities for Vermont farmers. H.58, An Act Relating to Goats Milk Standards, will allow farmers more flexibility to produce goats milk for processing and consumption.
As a farmer myself, I know how important it is to think creatively about how we can give our farmers more opportunities to succeed, said Rep. Partridge. This bill preserves our high standards for food safety while giving farmers another economic development tool.
The bill allows goat farmers to maintain a slightly higher somatic cell count in their herds. Rep. Partridge explained that goats have a different biology than cows, which requires different biological standards to maximize production and ensure safety.

Joan Goldstein has been named the new Executive Director of Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC). Goldstein comes to the position after several years as a Business and Technology Advisor for the Vermont Small Business Development Center and as an adjunct accounting, economics, and small business management instructor for Community College of Vermont and the Vermont Technical College. Joan previously conducted business for herself as an eBay selling consultant and she also brings a wide perspective from her 20 plus years in the financial services industry with international sales, marketing, client and project management experience. She has an MBA in Finance and an undergraduate degree in Economics.
Her predecessor, Neal Fox, has left to pursue his many other interests, including serving on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of GMEDC.

Today Secretary of State Markowitz announced a new town meeting holiday to permit working Vermonters to take time off to attend their town meeting. Markowitz said, Town Meeting Day is one of the democratic high points of the year. It is a time for neighbors to discuss the civic issues of their community, elect local officers and vote on budgets. The legislature created the town meeting holiday to ensure that every Vermonter has an opportunity to participate.
The new law provides that, subject to the essential operation of a business or entity of state or local government, an employee has the right to
take unpaid leave from work to attend town meeting. Markowitz said, The new law treats attendance at town meeting the same way we treat serving on jury duty by providing employees with unpaid leave time. It also balances the legitimate needs of employers to continue their operation while enabling most employees to participate in town meeting.

$45 million project would add two floors and 1,400 spaces without taxpayer cost
At a press conference on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, Brian Searles, Director of Aviation at Burlington International Airport, unveiled plans for a major expansion to the airport s parking facilities.
The need for additional parking at the airport has become acute, said Searles. Enplanements for Calendar Year 2008 were up 7.3% over 2007. In 2008, the existing garage was filled to capacity at least once nearly every day from February through October. Searles added that when the primary lot is full, vehicles must be moved to the Park & Shuttle location, or even to off-site temporary lots. The result is inconvenience to customers and lost revenue.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin and Speaker Shap Smith today announced a large-scale restructuring plan for two state agencies to deliver higher quality services and reduce state spending. Senator Shumlin and Speaker Smith called on the Senate and House committees to consider a consolidation of the Department of Labor and Department of Economic Development and the dissolution of the Agency of Commerce. Governor Douglas said he vehemently opposes the plan.
With Vermonters facing the most difficult times many of us have ever seen and with the need for state services higher than ever, it is critical that Vermont s government be as efficient and effective as possible, said Senator Shumlin. Much of our governmental structure is outdated and reflects a time when Vermonters were facing different challenges and had different needs. It s time for a modern state government that reflects the realities of Vermont in the 21st
Century.

MT Anderson, Chris Graff, Governor Madeline Kunin and Bill Schubart also join board
Vermont College of Fine Arts, a graduate school for visual art and writing based in Montpelier, Vermont, today announced that Cornelius ( Con ) Hogan has been named chairman of its Board of Trustees.
Hogan, a well-known figure in Vermont, has served on the Board of Trustees since 2007. He is currently a senior fellow with the Center for the Study of Social Policy, and he is recognized nationally for his work in public and human service, including engagements with the Annie E. Casey and Robert Wood Johnson foundations and the National Center for Children in Poverty. Hogan has been a director of Fletcher Allen Health Care and secretary of Vermont's Agency of Human Services.

Yoplait has announced to its hospital customers that it will stop using milk from cattle injected with the growth hormone rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) to make its yogurt products, beginning in early August 2009. Yoplait is among the first major manufacturer to totally eliminate rBGH from their product line, a move widely seen as a response to demands by the health care sector and consumer groups to provide rBGH-free products.
The health care system purchases approximately $12 billion worth of food and beverages annually. In their drive to serve safer, more sustainable foods, major health systems across the country are switching to rBGH-free (also called rBST) milk and milk products, due to the evidence showing the hormone's adverse effects on animals and potential to harm human health. The use of rBGH in banned in Canada, the European Union, Australia and Japan.

Governor Douglas announced today that Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) will issue free $50,000 term life insurance policies to benefit children of eligible working families in the Vermont, at no cost to the families - MassMutual pays the premiums through its philanthropic LifeBridge program.
People who are eligible may apply for free life insurance at the Greater Burlington YMCA, located at 266 College St., Burlington, VT on Saturday, February 28th, from 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Eligible individuals should call the YMCA at 802-862-9622 ext. 122 to schedule their 15-minute appointment to apply. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED.

The Chittenden Solid Waste District is temporarily suspending sales of compost products from its subsidiary, Intervale Compost Products (ICP), located on Intervale Road in Burlington. Low levels of a substance known as benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) have been found in the compost. While this substance is pervasive throughout the Burlington area, there are no State or Federal standards for its presence in compost. Sales have been suspended as a precautionary measure while the State and CSWD determine whether or not there is cause for concern. Intervale Compost Products is still accepting compostable material during regular business hours.One of a family of compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), BaP is a carcinogen and has been traced to none other than the leaves and yard trimmings brought to the Intervale and to CSWD Drop-Off Centers by residents and businesses in the area.

William Maclay Architects & Planners won first place in the large buildings category of the Efficiency Vermont Better Buildings by Design 2009 competition for their work on the recently completed green building for wind manufacturer NRG Systems. The Waitsfield architectural firm was recognized by the judges for their “innovative and integrated design approach towards energy efficiency and high performance building.”

RealtyTrac(R) (www.realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its January 2009 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report(TM), which shows foreclosure filings -- default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions -- were reported on 274,399 U.S. properties during the month, a 10 percent decrease from the previous month but still up 18 percent from January 2008. The report also shows one in every 466 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in January.