News
With several representatives for various building, construction and realty organizations present, Governor Jim Douglas (during his weekly press conference yesterday) called for enhanced efforts to help build the economy and grow Vermont jobs by embracing his proposed Economic Growth Plan. One of the critical components of the plan is permit reform.
John Casella, chairman and chief executive of Casella Waste Systems, started his Rutland-based business in 1975, working with his brother and one garbage truck. In 1977, Casella Waste opened Vermont's first recycling center.
The request by Central Vermont Public Service (NYSE: CV) to defer the extraordinary service restoration costs associated with a December 2008 ice storm has been approved by the Vermont Public Service Board. The amount approved for deferral under the company's alternative regulation plan is $4.1 million of the approximately $5.3 million total cost of the service restoration effort.
William Maclay Architects & Planners (WMAP) won an Honor Award in the 2009 Vermont Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Open Space Competition for their design work on the Pyralisk Arts Park project in Montpelier, Vermont.
Same designers led Burlington’s waterfront renewal
Vermont housing affordability improved significantly in 2008, the second year of improving affordability. This is the main conclusion of the annual affordability study performed by The Vermont Economy Newsletter. The study was based on an analysis of all the residential housing sales in Vermont from 1987 to 2008.
The third annual celebration of National Entrepreneurship Week (NEW) is February 21 - 28, 2009. Launched in response to a congressional resolution in 2006 advocating recognition of entrepreneurship at the local, state and national level, NEW celebrates the heritage of entrepreneurial leadership in America, and promotes entrepreneurship education as a lifelong learning process.
In response the projected $28 million UVM budget shortfall, President Fogel has announced that the university's general fund will be reduced by nearly $11 million in the first phase of a budget reconciliation. In phase two, additional cuts of $4 million might be made depending upon revenue projections. Employees that could be affected will be informed by Friday, February 20.
Today, the Senate passed a bill that encourages large commercial trucks to travel on Vermont’s interstate highways by reducing the penalty for overweight violations of the federal weight limit to one dollar. In some cases, trucks that exceed the federal weight limit of 80,000 pounds on the interstate will avoid paying significant penalties by traveling on secondary roads.
Green Mountain Power has filed a request with the Public Service Board to lower the premium its customers can choose to pay to support the development of renewable energy in Vermont. Currently, under the GreenerGMP program, customers can opt to pay four cents per kilowatt hour more than their normal rate to help GMP support renewable energy projects.
The Office of Vermont State Auditor Tom Salmon, CPA, introduced an updated website today for citizens and state employees with ideas for savings or concerns about potential fraud, waste or abuse in government programs. These are not ordinary financial times, said Auditor Salmon in a statement.
On March 3, the State Treasurer s Office will offer approximately $50 million in general obligation bonds to raise needed funds for the construction and maintenance of a wide range of State building and transportation projects.