Current News

Statement of the Governor on Economic Stimulus Plan
May 1, 2008
Montpelier, Vt. - At his weekly press conference Thursday, May 1, 2008, Governor Jim Douglas delivered the following opening statement:
"As we approach Friday's adjournment and final agreement on the two remaining items of the economic growth initiative - the sales tax holiday and targeted assistance for high unemployment areas - I want to thank the Special Committee on Economic Recovery and Opportunity, and House and Senate leadership for evaluating, enhancing and passing the 15-point Economic Growth Initiative I presented. They've done swift and diligent work on this important task.
"Some said that this couldn't be done - or that it was somehow a distractionbut this is a good example of what state government can achieve when all points of view are considered, strengthening the economy is the top priority and progress triumphs over partisanship.

South Burlington, Vt. (April 29, 2008) The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 300 will once again sponsor the 74 Racing Teams Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.
The car, driven by 25-year race veteran Jerry Lesage, competes in the Late Model Division at Thunder Road, a renowned short track speedway in Barre. Lesage carries a four-person pit crew that includes IBEW Local 300 member Paul Weston.

The 74 Racing Team is very thankful for IBEW Local 300s support, said Weston. I have been a union member for 13 years and am enormously proud to promote our awesome work ethic and the many career opportunities in the electrical trades.

Dealer.com Launches Chrysler Canada's Web Solutions for Five Star Retailers

Legislature, business scuffle over Yankee, health, housing
by Art Edelstein
A variety of issues emerged from the 2008 legislative session of particular interest to Vermont's business community. The cost of workers' compensation, energy and the decommissioning of Vermont Yankee, health care, the declining quality of roads and bridges and the cross border passport issue are among several that came up in discussion with members of the Legislature and business leaders.

Legislators must also pass some parts of the governor's $214 million economic stymulus plan, which he announced April 19, 2008. (see www.vermontbiz.com for complete details of the plan)

VTrans schedules $130 million in construction projects for 2008 season
MONTPELIER – Vermont Agency of Transportation Secretary Neale Lunderville announced April 28, 2008, that VTrans in 2008 will spend about $130 million on road, bridge, culvert and highway safety construction projects statewide.
The money will fund the completion of 24 projects that began in prior years that were buttoned up for the winter, as well as fund 47 new projects that will begin sometime during the upcoming construction season.
Construction projects vary in size and scope, and include everything from safety improvements and intersection upgrades to roadway paving and bridge reconstruction.
“It was a very long winter, but construction season is finally here,” Lunderville said. “We are very excited to be putting the snowplows in storage and beginning what promises to be a very dynamic construction season. About 50 different towns will see new projects begin sometime this year.”

Fifty-five entrepreneurs, educators, policy leaders, and economic development professionals from around the state met on April 16th at the Vermont Tech Enterprise Center in Randolph to discuss how to better coordinate efforts and resources to boost entrepreneurship in Vermont.

The Convening was a follow up to Vermont Entrepreneurship Week festivities in February, the highlight of which was the proclamation of the week by Governor Douglas at the Statehouse.

Convening attendees worked together to develop a list of activities and strategies to promote and celebrate entrepreneurship, connect existing business development resources with one another and to entrepreneurs, inspire a new generation of Vermonters to consider entrepreneurship as a career, and engage opinion leaders and decision makers around supporting a strong entrepreneurial culture in Vermont.

Peter Crosby Named to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont Board of Directors

Berlin Peter F. Crosby, of St. Johnsbury, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont. Mr. Crosby was elected at the companys recent annual meeting.

The Vermont Employee Ownership Center (VEOC) has announced the date and location of its Sixth Annual Vermont Employee Ownership Conference. The event will take place on Friday, June 6th, 2008, at Champlain College in Burlington. Registration information is available at www.veoc.org.

Attendees will learn about the unique benefits and challenges of employee ownership at this full-day conference packed with 14 workshops. The event is geared towards members of employee-owned companies; business owners and managers considering employee ownership; bankers, accountants, attorneys, and financial planners; government officials and staff members; economic development professionals; and anyone interested in employee participation or sustainable business models.

Statement by Speaker Symington Regarding the Passage of S. 373, "Full Funding of Decommissioning Costs of a Nuclear Plant."

Today the House passed S. 373, "Full Funding of Decommissioning Costs of a Nuclear Plant." This bill will protect Vermonters from a potential financial risk if the Entergy Corporation sells Vermont Yankee to a highly leveraged company, NewCo.

The provisions of S. 373 are straightforward. It requires that if Vermont Yankee is sold, the Public Service Board (PSB) must determine that its decommissioning fund has enough assets and financial guarantees to pay for immediate restoration of the site upon closing of Vermont Yankee. If the fund currently is adequate, the PSB will require nothing further. If the fund is inadequate, the deficiency can be alleviated by either adding funds or supplying a letter of credit or other guarantee.

MyWebGrocer Hires First Chief Operating Officer
Colchester VT, 2008: MyWebGrocer announced mid-March the hire of their first Chief Operating Officer, Tim Kenney.

Mr. Kenneys role is to keep daily operations scaling and efficient. Focusing on the strategy of the business, Tim will enable the MyWebGrocer team to reach both its short and long term goals. Kenney will closely monitor the professional services, products, and market commitments to continue the companys rapid growth.

The 2008 Broadband Grant winners were announced by the Vermont Telecommunications Authority.
Canaan/Norton, Canaan/Norton - $50000
EC Fiber (planning), 25 Towns - $25000
Global Net, Fletcher & surrounding area - $50000
Powershift, Elmore, Hardwick - $20000
Ripton Broadband Coop, Ripton - $25000
SVBC, Stamford - $30000
The Broadband Grant Program is an initiative designed to create demonstration projects for providings broadband to all Vermonters. The goal of the program is to test viable models and look for creative ways to extend affordable high-speed Internet access to underserved parts of the state.

For the past four years, the Vermont Legislature has funded the Broadband Grant Program. Last year it was funded with a $200,000 allocation.

In response to the difficult economic times that Vermonters are facing, we announced today the formation of a bipartisan joint Committee on Economic Recovery and Opportunity. The committee will analyze the work of the legislature and the Administration's economic growth initiative and explore policies that will strengthen Vermont's economy and address the pressures on Vermonters' pocket books.
Throughout this session the legislature has been addressing the softening economy by making painful yet necessary reductions and by investing in our future. This work is reflected in the budget as well as in our legislation on housing, energy, health care and transportation. The Committee on Economic Recovery and Opportunity will conduct a careful analysis of this work in order to understand its immediate effect on Vermonters' pocketbooks and its long-term impact.