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PC's $321 million water supply program increases Atlanta’s emergency water reserve

Wed, 02/24/2021 - 4:58am -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine PC Construction in South Burlington and its joint venture partner, HJ Russell, have completed a major, five-year water supply program project that has helped the City of Atlanta secure a water contingency plan for the first time in its history. The $321 million construction management-at-risk project – which is the largest water supply project the State of Georgia has ever undertaken – will provide the City with a reliable supply of drinking water for the next 100 years, increasing the emergency raw water reserve from three days to more than 30 days. 

Union Mutual partners with Flo Tech for Smart Home water security program

Wed, 02/24/2021 - 3:26am -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine Union Mutual and Flo Technologies, the leader in smart home water loss prevention recently announced a partnership to provide qualifying customers with a discounted Flo by Moen Smart Water Shutoff and professional installation by a verified Moen Plumbing Network professional. The Flo by Moen Smart Water Shutoff attaches to a home’s main water line to prevent water damage and water loss by proactively detecting micro-leaks and other vulnerabilities anywhere in a home’s water supply.

VDH COVID-19 update: New rules for gathering, travel and signing up to get vaccinated

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 6:07pm -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced an update to the state’s policy on gatherings, travel policy and those 65 and older can sign up to get vaccinated starting Monday. Effective today, people who are fully vaccinated may now gather with one other household at time. A new travel quarantine policy (announced February 19) also began today. People who are fully vaccinated may travel to Vermont and return from out of state travel without quarantine restrictions. Fully vaccinated means 14 days have passed since your final dose. Beginning on March 1, Vermonters age 65 and older will be able to make their appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Court rules Newport store must comply with governor's executive order

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 5:55pm -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine Orleans Superior Court, Judge Mary Miles Teachout presiding, today granted the State’s motion for a temporary restraining order, ordering HNR Desautels LLC, currently believed to be doing business as Derby Port Press, and its owner, Andre “Michael” Desautels, to stop violating Governor Scott’s Executive Order and Addenda. Attorney General TJ Donovan filed a civil lawsuit and motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop the Newport business from violating Governor Scott’s Executive Order and Addenda. In its complaint, the State of Vermont alleged that the Defendants were in violation of Governor Scott’s orders by working in the presence of others without wearing required cloth face coverings.

Vaccination sign up for people 65 and older begins Monday

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 5:48pm -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine Beginning on March 1, Vermonters age 65 and older will be able to make their appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Vermonters 65 years old and above will be able to make an appointment online at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine starting at 8:15 am on Monday. Anyone who has previously been eligible to receive a vaccine continues to be eligible and can make their appointments now. If you are in the 65-69 age group, please do not call to make an appointment until March 1.

PAI: Wages fall short of workers’ basic needs

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 5:40pm -- tim

by Julie Lowell, Public Assets Institute How much income does a person need to live? The Joint Fiscal Office’s January release of its biennial Vermont Basic Needs Budgets and Livable Wage report answers this question. Unfortunately, it reminds us that not all Vermonters are able to meet their basic needs. In 2020 livable income levels for full-time workers ranged from nearly $13 an hour for people without children in rural Vermont to nearly $42 an hour for a single parent with two children in the Burlington area – about $27,000 and $87,000 a year respectively. The report details the cost of basic needs for seven Vermont household configurations, adjusting expenses based on household size and type: one or two parents, children, urban or rural. Needs include food, housing, transportation, childcare, health care and other costs.

Labor Dept mailing out new 1099-G tax forms to unemployment claimants

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 5:33pm -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) is finalizing validation efforts this week and working with the Department of Buildings and General Services to print and mail new 1099-G tax forms by the beginning of next week to all 2020 unemployment insurance claimants. This is a result of the processing issue that occurred on January 29, 2021, when a series of incorrect 1099-G tax forms were sent to unemployment insurance claimants from the Department of Labor. On February 1, 2021, the Department began receiving reports that some 1099-G documents contained information for different claimants. The Department of Labor immediately stopped all 1099-G mailing efforts, launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the processing issue, notified claimants and recalled all VDOL 1099-Gs, and began a plan to reissue new 1099-Gs to all 2020 claimants.

Poll: Two-thirds of Vermont voters support making mailed ballots permanent

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 5:22pm -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine According to a new poll released today, Vermont voters are overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the practice of mailing a ballot to every voter, a policy that was put in place by state leaders on a temporary basis last year. The poll found that 68 percent of Vermont voters want to keep vote by mail, while just 29 percent oppose it. Vermont experienced record voter turnout in 2020 after each active registered voter was mailed a ballot at home. Approximately 75 percent of voters returned their ballots by mail or by depositing them in a local drop box.

Statement of Secretary French on US Dept of Ed announcement on statewide assessment

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 4:45pm -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Secretary of Education Dan French made the following statement regarding the US Department of Education (USED) letter to Chief State School Officers offering flexibilities to states on statewide assessment, accountability and reporting requirements for the 2020-2021 school year. The announcement indicates that USED will not provide blanket waivers for assessment administration during the 2020-2021 school year. The Department is offering flexibility to states in how and when to offer their statewide assessments, and in their federally required accountability systems. USED will also require all states to maintain state and local report card requirements. USED will also require states to report chronic absenteeism data.

Governor announces new COVID-19 travel and gathering guidance

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 3:56pm -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced an update to the State’s policy on gatherings, as the new travel quarantine policy (announced on February 19) went into effect. Effective today, people who are fully vaccinated may travel to Vermont and return from out of state travel without quarantine restrictions, once 14 days have passed from when they received their final dose. Additionally, people who meet this vaccination criteria may now gather with one other household at time.

VDH reports two more COVID deaths for 199 total

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 11:47am -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Scott announced today that if you are fully vaccinated plus two weeks you can gather with one and only one other household even if they are not vaccinated. Also if fully vaccinated you may travel in or out of the state without quarantine. And, the Vermont Department of Health on Tuesday is reporting 82 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 14,691 and two more deaths for a statewide total of 199. VDH is also reminding Vermonters that they can create an account to get vaccinated even if they are not eligible yet to receive one. VDH announced today that it will open up the next vaccination phase for those 65 or older on March 1.

Sanders announces winners of 11th annual State of the Union Essay Contest

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 11:12am -- tim

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Tuesday announced the winners of his eleventh annual State of the Union essay contest, which gives Vermont high school students an opportunity to describe pressing issues they would prioritize as president of the United States. Over the past 11 years, nearly 5,000 students throughout Vermont, representing almost every high school in the state, have written essays about critically important issues, including racial justice, gun safety, immigration, climate change, mental health care, the rising cost of college, and more. This year, 319 students from 42 Vermont high schools submitted essays.

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