Vermont Business Magazine News

Vermont student loan debt among highest in nation

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:27:23 +0000

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) said a new report released today by the Joint Economic Committee showed the average student loan debt in Vermont was greater than the amount in all but six other states. New Hampshire's was by far the highest at over $33,000.

In Vermont, 63 percent of college graduates hold student loans. The average balance is $28,860. That debt load amounts to 82 percent of the average annual income for recent graduates, a ratio of debt to earnings that ranks Vermont the highest in the nation and the only state over 80 percent (see table below).

A member of the special Joint Economic Committee, Sanders said the report underscores the need for legislation to stop interest rates from doubling to 6.8 percent on July 1 on federally subsidized Stafford loans. The report also urges the development of new strategies to make higher education more affordable.

“Short term, we need to make certain rates don’t go up this summer. Long term, we need to figure out a way to make college more affordable,” said Sanders, who also is a member of the Senate education committee. He supports a proposal by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who introduced legislation that would ensure students are offered the same low 0.75 percent loan rate that the Federal Reserve gives big banks on Wall Street.

Nationwide, the report shows that student debt has increased significantly in recent years, nearly doubling from $550 billion in 2007 to almost $1 trillion in the first quarter of this year.

The Joint Economic Committee report shows that two-thirds of 2011 college graduates have student loan debt. Those borrowers have an average balance of more than $27,000, 60 percent of the average annual income for recent graduates.

If Congress doesn’t act, interest rates will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on new federally subsidized Stafford loans issued on or after July 1, increasing the cost of a college education by as much as $4,500.

To read the full report on student debt, click here.

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2013 – Senator Bernie Sanders

'NEK Today and Tomorrow': Development drives discussion

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:03:38 +0000

by Hilary Niles June 17, 2013 vtdigger.org Bill Stenger found more money than he knew what to do with when he started developing the year-round water park that opened at Jay Peak in 2011. So he dreamed up a new idea — a much bigger one that’s unfolding at a rapid clip before his very eyes.

Stenger choked back tears Saturday morning at Lake Region Union High School in Orleans as he concluded his presentation to local community leaders on the Northeast Kingdom Economic Development Initiative. The $600 million project includes five developments in Jay, Newport and Burke, and is expected to create or preserve 10,000 jobs.

Bill Stenger speaks at the Vermont Busienss & Industry Expo in May. VBM photo.

The 110 to 120 people in attendance were like a “who’s who” of the Northeast Kingdom, said Tracy Zschau, the Vermont Land Trust’s Northeast Kingdom regional director.

But Charlie Browne, executive director of the Fairbanks Museum, underscored that those in attendance were “surrounded by people who live in dire poverty without even the resources to participate in this type of activity.”

“Every socio-economic metric is more challenging in the Northeast Kingdom,” Stenger said. The poverty and attendant issues caused by a weak economy are fueling his drive to bring this dream to life. “This is not about the money for me,” he said several times. “It’s about the opportunities for the community these economic outcomes create.”

The message of opportunity from presenters was clear: Lawrence Miller, secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development, underscored that Gov. Peter Shumlin, who was not in attendance, “wants to be sure that growth happens in a way that is for the Kingdom, not to the Kingdom.” Patricia Sears, executive director of the Newport City Renaissance Corp., challenged audience members to lead by taking risks and “have the guts to back your insights.” Katherine Sims, founder and executive director of Green Mountain Farm-to-School, envisioned a new economy in the Northeast Kingdom built on local materials, foods and arts. Grant Spates, member of the Derby Selectboard and president of the general contracting firm Spates Construction, relished the sight of construction trucks traveling from Burlington to the Kingdom instead of the other way around as they did when he started his career years ago.

And many audience members responded in kind, voicing their own hopes and wishes for strong village centers, livable wages, better public transportation, preservation of open land, more housing options, new business opportunities, improved education.

Beneath the hope, however, and behind the audience’s questions, lay some fears. Will the planned development bring opportunities to all, or a select few? And will a higher standard of living come at the cost of quality of life?

The summit, called NEK Today and Tomorrow, was a project of the Northeastern Development Association and Vermont Council on Rural Development. It was intended as a first step, bringing together stakeholders to map out a vision for the Northeast Kingdom’s future. Whether or not all those visions will line up, and which versions of hope the development plans and attendant policies are crafted to engender, remains to be seen.

Genesis of a dream

The Northeast Kingdom Economic Development Initiative is not so much one single project, but a set of five developments. It’s funded by the federal Immigrant Investor Program, better known as “EB-5,” whereby would-be immigrants invest $500,000 to $1 million in a commercial enterprise that will create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs within two years.

AnC Bio announcement at Gateway Center in Newport on July 29, 2011. From left, Ariel Quiros, chairman AnC Bio US, Gov. Peter Shumlin, Sen. Patrick Leahy, William Kelly, adviser to AnC Bio, and, at podium, Bill Stenger, partner with Quiros at Jay Peak Resort, and investor in AnC Bio. Photo by Joseph Gresser/Barton Chronicle

Miller credited Stenger’s passion as the initiative’s most crucial ingredient, secondary even to the financial capital it requires.

Stenger, in turn, downplayed the role of money as his motivator. Nonetheless, the development initiative clearly was conceived in response to the swift flow of dollars through the EB-5 program.

Stenger tapped into EB-5 funds through Vermont’s Regional Center to fund Jay Peak’s water park. He told the audience Saturday that if he had pursued private financing for the $20 million project, he only could have borrowed 50 percent to 60 percent of the needed capital. He would have had to produce the last $8 million himself. With EB-5 funds, on the other hand, Stenger not only funded the entire capital investment without having to invest his own equity: He did it without having to acquire debt.

“You can compete in a special way when you’re not under the gun of a mortgage,” Stenger said. Hence, one advantage of EB-5.

And there appears to be no shortage of funds. Stenger recognized a choice when he saw that EB-5 capital still would be flowing even after his project was complete: “Do we turn out the light, pull down the shade and let the EB-5 capital go to any of the 38 other states with regional centers?” His answer was “no.” Hence, the Northeast Kingdom Economic Development Initiative.

It includes a wholesale renovation of downtown and waterfront Newport on Lake Memphremagog, major expansions and conference center construction at Burke Mountain, co-location of the Korean biotech firm AnC Bio to a new biomedical research park at Jay Peak, and leasing 40,000 square feet of that space to Menck Window Systems to establish the German company’s North American headquarters in Vermont.

From Miller’s perspective, the fact that the proposal is a set of projects rather than a single investment is part of its promise. He also likes that it’s geographically widespread, and diversified across multiple business sectors.

Andrew Messier, principal of Lake Region Union High School where the planning summit was held, contributed to the Education work group conversation. Photo by Hilary Niles

Stenger described the NEK initiative as reflecting a “TEAM Economy” comprised of Travel, Education, Agriculture and Manufacturing. Housing and health care, he reiterated many times, complete the picture of opportunity he hopes to paint on the Northeast Kingdom through development.

For more information

After about an hour of presentations by Stenger, Miller, Sears, Sims and Spates, the panel took questions from the audience for nearly another hour. The third part of the morning was spent in work groups organized by the predetermined topics of housing, education, tourism and the working landscape.

Following are primary action items reported back to the full audience by each work group. The summit organizers are collating all notes from the work group sessions into a report for distribution to attendees. Additional meetings will be organized either regionally or topically for further discussion and planning.

For more information on the summit and related planning, contact the Vermont Council on Rural Development at 802-223-6091 or info@vtrural.org.

Housing

1. Produce an assessment of the current housing stock and needs that gets “below the surface.”

2. Develop housing choices “for everyone” not just with affordable up-front costs but also with realistic energy and transportation costs.

3. Increase technical assistance to towns regarding zoning, and assist towns with building the capacity to implement these zoning plans.

Education

1. Develop a strategic plan for transformation that includes not just educators, business leaders and community members but also families, who are in a unique position to know what is needed.

2. Collect and analyze data to better understand how education can meet cultural needs.

3. Positive PR regarding the Kingdom to convey that the pay scale may be low, but the quality of life is high.

4. Prepare students for participation in a global society.

Tourism

1. Focus marketing on the unique character and cultural resources of the Northeast Kingdom.

2. Identify the “risk points” of overdevelopment in an effort to preserve the culture.

3. Open lines of communication with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to help make the border friendly and swift while still allowing agents the time and attention they need to keep the border safe.

Working Landscape

1. Find and leverage access to capital for forestry and agricultural businesses.

2. Develop a coherent and unique Northeast Kingdom land ethic and vision to drive growth policy.

3. Work with other sectors of the TEAM partnership to develop the local food economy and agricultural support services.

Vermont program to jumpstart brownfield redevelopment

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:14:35 +0000

Governor Peter Shumlin, EPA New England Brownfields Director Carol Tucker and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, along with representatives from Vermont’s congressional delegation, launched a new program today that will advance the redevelopment of brownfields, former industrial or commercial properties that are contaminated from historical uses making it difficult or impossible to put them to new uses. In addition, six Vermont organizations redeveloping brownfields were awarded funding for that work from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The program, called the Brownfield Economic Revitalization Alliance (BERA), will be jointly administered by Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), and Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). BERA was created to quickly and efficiently move complex brownfield projects to redevelopment, fostering new economic opportunities as a result. Three sites were selected by a team of public and private sector representatives as the first BERA projects. The first is the former Fonda property in St. Albans, the second is the Railyard Enterprise Project in Burlington, and the third is the 453 Pine Street parcel in Burlington.

In addition, Shumlin signed H 226, which extends the Petroleum Clean-up Fund and strengthens Vermont’s brownfield laws. Among the most significant aspects of the new law is a provision giving Regional Development Corporations and Regional Planning Commissions liability protection when they take ownership of brownfield properties.

“The redevelopment of these brownfield sites makes good economic sense and it is good environmental stewardship,” Gov. Shumlin said. “Today’s unveiling of our new coalition, the signing of H 226 and the announcement of the recipients of EPA funding are extremely positive steps toward achieving these goals.”

“Vermont is taking a big step in helping to advance their Brownfields program, and EPA is excited to be a part of the process,” said Director Tucker. “The Brownfields program has proven to be an important vehicle for communities to get under-utilized properties assessed and cleaned up and back into productive use.”

EPA funding has been critical to redevelopment projects throughout Vermont and the strong partnership between the state and federal governments has been facilitated by US Senator Patrick Leahy, US Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch.

“Vermont communities have hundreds of former industrial sites that remain unused because of development obstacles such as pollution,” Leahy, Sanders and Welch said in a joint statement. “These grants help these communities turn lemons into lemonade, turning underused industrial sites into community assets where people can work, live and play.”

The event was hosted at the Vermont Rail System property in Burlington – part of the Railyard Enterprise Project that was selected for inclusion in the BERA program.

“Coming up with creative solutions for multifaceted projects that involve brownfields will greatly benefit the City of Burlington,” Mayor Weinberger said. “I am very appreciative of the fact that the BERA team selected two sites in the City and also want to thank EPA for the assessment funds.”

Each of the BERA sites needs specific expertise to ensure that the goal of redevelopment is achieved. Increased collaboration between state agencies and outside partners will help these projects move more quickly toward completion.

"Many Vermont communities include properties that were contaminated as a result of historical use. These properties are generally difficult to redevelop and slowly deteriorate, becoming unsightly and dangerous,” Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz said. “The EPA grants we celebrate today, the kick-off of our new Brownfields program, and the signing of Act 55 will all make redevelopment of these sites possible. We hope it will also encourage the redevelopment of similar sites in communities across the state,” she added.

Organizations awarded grants from EPA:

City of Burlington: A $200,000 grant to enable the City of Burlington to work with the community and other stakeholders to develop an area-wide plan and implementation strategy for the Railyard Enterprise brownfield area.
New England Youth Theater, Brattleboro: Two $200,000 grants totaling $400,000 to clean up two adjoining sites, 100 Flat Street and 56 Elm Street.
Northwest Regional Planning Commission, St. Albans: Two $200,000 assessment grants totaling $400,000 for use across Franklin and Grand Isle Counties to help communities complete environmental site assessments in preparation of clean up.
Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission, Windsor: A $200,000 assessment grant which will be used across Southern Windsor County to complete environmental site assessments and to create clean up plans.
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Montpelier: Two $200,000 assessment grants totaling $400,000 for use statewide to complete environmental site assessments and to create clean up plans.
Windham Regional Commission, Brattleboro: Two $200,000 grants totaling $400,000 to conduct environmental site assessments in Windham County.

Middlesex Therapeutic Community Residence will begin taking patients Wednesday

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:13:11 +0000

Governor Peter Shumlin was joined by administration officials, legislators, and mental health advocates today as he marked the completion of the Middlesex Therapeutic Community Residence. The facility will open Wednesday and will be Vermont’s first secure recovery residence designed to serve mental health patients who do not require long-term hospitalization or acute care but who may present a danger to themselves or others.

“I am proud of the progress we have made since Tropical Storm Irene dealt our state such a devastating blow towards building the best community-based mental health system in the country,” said Gov. Shumlin. “This secure, seven-bed facility will give some of our most vulnerable citizens the opportunity to recover in a home setting rather than a hospital room. It will also relieve some of the strain on our hospitals, which have stepped up to fill the gap so much during the past 22 months.”

Middlesex Therapeutic Community Residence will serve as a temporary facility until the new 25 bed Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital in Berlin opens in mid-2014. The approximately $2 million project is expected to save 60% of the current amount Vermont is paying for similar services.

The Governor also expressed his gratitude to MMIC, who, in partnership with the Department of Mental Health, the Agency of Administration, and the Department of Buildings and General Services, efficiently completed the project.

Governor's office. 6.18.2013

Home prices in Vermont down from last year

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:51:35 +0000

The RE/MAX of New England May Monthly Housing Report indicates that the Vermont median home price dipped slightly -2.3 percent year-over-year but experienced a boost in total transactions, up 7.9 percent. Across the region house sales are up both month-over-month and year-over-year. Rhode Island had the largest increase in New England, up 31.3 percent month-over-month and 35.2 percent year-over-year. Connecticut and New Hampshire also experienced double-digit growth both month-over-month and year-over-year. Overall, median price increased 3.4 percent and pending sales are up 61.5 percent year-over-year.

“Inventory continues to wane as activity in the market increases,” commented Dan Breault, EVP/Regional Director of RE/MAX of New England. “With increased competition, low inventory, and competitive mortgage rates, home sales are anticipated to remain strong throughout the summer.”

Decommissioning takes center stage in first day of final Vermont Yankee hearings

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:42:37 +0000

by Andrew Stein June 17, 2013 vtdigger.org The Vermont Public Service Board on Monday kicked off what’s expected to be the final two weeks of hearings on whether it’s in the public’s best interest for Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to obtain a new state operating permit.

“This is a very critical phase of the case,” said Geoff Commons, attorney and director of public advocacy at the state’s Public Service Department. “We think this is the last evidentiary hearing the Public Service Board will hold before issuing its determination.”

The board began scheduled testimony with decommissioning, a hot-button topic. Critics of Vermont Yankee have warned for years that the plant contains dangerous levels of radioactive waste. Many parties have voiced concern that the plant’s parent company, Entergy Corp., doesn’t have adequate funds to decommission the plant and isn’t planning to remove major infrastructure.

Background and the state’s position

In February 2010, the Vermont Senate voted 26-4 to block Entergy from seeking a 20-year renewal of its state license. That was during Gov. Peter Shumlin’s final term as Senate president pro tem.

Resources

TLG 2012 Decommissioning Cost Analysis

Vermont Yankee Relicensing docket page

Witness order for hearings, June 17-June 28, 2013

In March 2011, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission found no cause to shut the plant down based on radiological safety, and extended the plant’s federal license for 20 years.

One month later, Entergy filed a lawsuit against the state on the grounds that it was attempting to preempt federal authority. Entergy won that suit.

While that case is now tied up in federal appeals court, the Public Service Board is proceeding with its own case, trying to determine whether to relicense the 41-year-old plant.

Shumlin has vowed to do everything within his power to shut down the plan. He appoints the commissioner of the Public Service Department, and the department argues that the board should not grant the plant a permit.

“Entergy has not demonstrated it should be issued a certificate of public good,” Commons said. “Our goal, as in every case, is to get the board a full record with good evidence so that they can make a solidly entered decision that reflects the public good and can be held up on appeal.”

Decommissioning concerns

Up first in the board’s hot seat on Monday was William Cloutier, a project manager for the Entergy subsidiary TLG Services Inc. Cloutier oversaw the 2012 cost analysis for decommissioning Vermont Yankee (see sidebar for a link to the report).

According to the report, the cost to decommission Vermont Yankee ranges from $850 million to $1.16 billion. The cheaper options, classified as “DECON,” would be quick removal and decontamination of the site. The more expensive options, referred to as “SAFSTOR,” are often lengthier processes of “deferred decontamination,” lasting up to 60 years.

Based on May 31, 2013, figures provided by Vermont Yankee, the market value of the plant’s federally mandated decommissioning fund was $576 million.

The Windham Regional Commission argues that the full decommissioning amount is still not enough to fully remediate the site. Furthermore, the commission is concerned that Entergy is leaning toward a SAFSTOR route that would take decades to dismantle the plant.

“What we’re really looking for is prompt and complete decommissioning,” said Tom Buchanan, who sits on the executive board of the Windham Regional Commission. “When the plant shuts down, we want it decommissioned immediately, and we want them to remove all structures so it’s ready for redevelopment.”

The regional planning commission is neutral on whether the plant be relicensed. But Buchanan said the commission takes issue with Entergy’s plan is to leave onsite all foundations and infrastructure 3 feet below ground level.

“There are foundations that go down 40 or 50 feet. There are giant tunnels big enough for a man to walk through, 10 feet in diameter, that would just sit there forever,” he said. “We think that makes it harder to redevelop the property. We would like to make sure TLG budgets for removing all the structures when the plant shuts down.”

Legislation for remediation

Others share Buchanan’s worries.

“There’s a continuing concern that’s there’s not enough money for both decommissioning and restoring the site after the radioactive materials are removed,” said Sandy Levine, senior attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation. “That’s a real risk, and that’s a risk Entergy did not evaluate in the work they did.”

Rep. Tony Klein, D-East Montpelier, chairs the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. He said it would “make good sense” for the General Assembly to pass legislation this year requiring Vermont Yankee to set aside more funding for remediation.

“I think the state and the power of the people in passing legislation need to be on the record confirming the agreement that Entergy originally agreed to enter into when it bought Vermont Yankee,” Klein said. “That is that they would take decommissioning beyond what is federally required of them. That needs to be confirmed and have the financial firepower behind it, so that property won’t just be a vast wasteland for 100 years.”

Legislation introduced by the vice chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich, and the committee’s clerk, Rep. Tim Jerman, D-Essex, would require Vermont Yankee to put at least $40 million in an escrow account for restoring the property to a usable “greenfield” state. Klein said he’d like his committee to build from House bill 139 next session.

“Entergy agreed that when it came time to decommission the plant they’d take it to greenfield status, making it so the property was put back into useable condition as quickly as possible,” Klein said. “It didn’t mean it would be put back to its most natural state; we just want the property to be used again in its entirety as quickly as possible.”

Spent fuel pools, warning flags and NRC approval

At the Public Service Board hearing, Windham Commissioner Buchanan questioned TLG’s Cloutier about the economics of storing spent fuel in the facility’s spent fuel pool, rather than dry cask storage, which is touted by experts to be safer for long-term storage of nuclear waste.

“It depends upon how long you assume it’s going to be on site,” Cloutier said about spent fuel after a plant shuts down. “There is a crossover point where dry storage is more economical than continuing to leave it in the pool.”

“Could Entergy make a decision to leave spent fuel in the pool for several decades after the plant shuts down?” Buchanan asked.

“It is possible, but it’s probably not likely given that the fuel wasn’t designed to be sitting in the pool for decades,” Cloutier replied.

According to Entergy, Vermont Yankee’s spent fuel pool currently holds spent fuel that is more than 40 years old.

In April, Robert Alvarez of the Institute for Policy Studies warned the Legislature about the state of spent fuel at Vermont Yankee. The former senior policy adviser to President Clinton’s secretary of Energy told legislators that Vermont Yankee’s 2,815 spent fuel assemblies in its spent fuel pool are greater than entire inventory of all four damaged reactors in Fukushima, Japan, which totaled 2,724 spent fuel assemblies.

In its 41-year existence, Vermont Yankee has generated roughly 624 metric tons of spent fuel, which translates to 3,427 assemblies comprised of 215,910 rods. More than 80 percent of that spent fuel is sitting in the site’s spent fuel pool, Alvarez noted.

“For the past 30 years, nuclear safety research has consistently pointed out that severe accidents could occur at spent fuel pools, resulting in catastrophic consequences,” he told the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. “Spent fuel pools were originally designed for short-term cooling and are not required to have the same ‘defense in depth’ features as a reactor.”

Two weeks after Alvarez’s testimony, Chris Miller, director of safety for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Region 1, told reporters that the Vermont Yankee plant underwent 5,500 hours of inspection and is safe.

ASK-intTag contactless paper tickets made in Vermont now in SoCal Metro

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:31:32 +0000

ASK-intTag, the US-based subsidiary of ASK, a leading provider contactless technology, has delivered TAP-compatible contactless paper tickets for Metrolink riders to transfer seamlessly to the Metro Rail Lines in Los Angeles. The tickets are produced at its facility located at the IBM campus in Essex Junction.

ASK, the inventor of the contactless paper ticket, the C.ticket, offers transit operators an alternative to other technologies. With contactless cards and contactless paper tickets, Transit Authorities are able to address both their subscribers and occasional users within the same fare collection network. ASK-intTag tickets are encoded at the company’s Vermont site, which is set up with security levels required for production of the identification documents such as passports or ID cards.

“TAP-enabled tickets and passes contain an embedded smart chip that will allow Metrolink riders to continue to enjoy a seamless connection to Metro’s rail system,” said Metrolink Chief Administrative Officer Robert Turnauckas. “ASK, in addition to being the inventor of the product with tens of millions of units delivered worldwide, holds a US manufacturing site with the security level we requested. It was a real asset in our selection process. ASK was integral in making this project a success.”

Metrolink operates heavy rail commuter train service into six counties in Southern California. TAP enabled tickets are available at Metrolink Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) to allow passage through Metro’s turnstiles leading to Metro Rails lines and stations, making the journey seamless for all Metro and Metrolink passengers. Metrolink riders will continue to experience unmatched mobility throughout Southern California’s public transportation system.

About ASK

ASK, with over 350 million contactless products in circulation in more than 50 countries, is a worldwide leading provider of a full range of contactless products including smart cards, smart tickets, readers, inlays for electronic passports or contactless smart cards and eDocuments. ASK is a France-headquartered company with worldwide customers in the mass transit, access control and identity sectors. ASK manufacturing sites and subsidiaries are based in France, China, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa. ASK-inTag is the joint venture between ASK and WS Packaging.

Sophia-Antipolis, June 18, 2013: ASK-intTag

Early filings for Obamacare 'Bronze Plans' signal higher out-of-pocket costs for consumers

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:07:35 +0000

A new analysis from HealthPocket, Inc of early health insurance rate filings finds that the least expensive plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have higher out-of-pocket costs for consumers compared to current plans in the individual and family insurance market. While most states have yet to publish their rates, "Bronze Plan" filings fromCalifornia, Connecticut, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington indicate that for these entry level plans consumers may pay more in deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance for their medical services than they do now.

*Catastrophic plans are required by the Affordable Care Act and may only be offered to young adults under age 30. Note that parents may cover their
young adult children up to age 26 on a family policy.
Initial Monthly Rates Filed for Standard QHPs for 2014 Plan Year
Single Couple Parent and Child(ren) Family
^ High-Deductible Health Plan

SEE PRELIMINARY RATE FILINGS FOR VERMONT HERE

Based on a review of over 9,500 health plans in the current individual and family health insurance market, copayments for doctor visits were estimated at $28 on average. In comparison, Bronze Plans averaged a$41 copayment — an increase of 46 percent. The lowest Bronze Plan copayment for a doctor was $15and the highest was $60. For doctor visits where a coinsurance fee is charged instead of a flat fee copayment, the current national average is 24 percent. Bronze Plans that charge coinsurance averaged 27 percent, an increase of 13 percent.

The analysis also revealed that changes are coming to how deductibles work for doctor visits and that there will be significant increases in average plan deductibles. In the current pre-reform market, 37 percent of health plans include doctor visits as part of the deductible. For the new Bronze Plan filings, 84 percent had doctor visits subject to the deductible. For Bronze Plan consumers this means they are likely to be charged the full amount for some doctor visits until they have met their plans' deductible. In California, however, it is standard plan design that the deductible will not be applied for the first three doctor visits. In the seven states where HealthPocket examined rate filings, the current average medical deductible was$3,589. In those same states, the Bronze Plans' average medical deductible was 26 percent higher at$4,509.

"We know that consumers' number one concern about health insurance is what they will have to pay for it," said Kev Coleman, head of research & data at HealthPocket. "People shopping for insurance need to worry about two things: the cost of their monthly premium and what out-of-pocket costs they face. By considering both factors together rather than in isolation from one another, consumers can make the best financial decision for their healthcare."

HealthPocket selected the Bronze Plan as the focus of its investigation since it is the least expensive level health plan within the Affordable Care Act and, accordingly, expected to be the most popular among cost-conscious consumers. For most people without group insurance from an employer or other group, the Bronze plan is the minimum health insurance plan in which they can enroll that will satisfy the Affordable Care Act's mandate for people to purchase health insurance.

The results of the study were derived from qualified health plan rate filings within the individual and family health insurance market for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2014. Data on cost-sharing for currently available health plans was collected on June 11, 2013 from 9,727 health plans within the individual & family health insurance market.

This HealthPocket InfoStat is part of a series using health plan data to produce unbiased market analysis and guidance for consumers navigating America's changing health insurance environment. More information about out-of-pocket costs and Bronze Plans can be found at www.HealthPocket.com.

About HealthPocket
HealthPocket.com is a free website that compares and ranks all health plans available to an individual, family, or small business, so everyone can make their best health plan decision and save on their out-of-pocket costs. The Company uses only objective data from government, nonprofit, and private sources that carry no conditions that might restrict the site from serving as an unbiased resource. The founders ofHealthPocket.com spent decades pioneering online access to health insurance information and knew they could offer something different that can positively change how people buy and use healthcare in the U.S. Learn more at www.HealthPocket.com.

SOURCE SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- HealthPocket

$27,000 grant will help attract snowmobilers to Vermont

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:27:10 +0000

US Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and US Representative Peter Welch Tuesday announced the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) has been awarded a $27,000 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to help attract snowmobilers to Vermont.

VAST will use the funding to produce promotional films showcasing the towns of St. Johnsbury and Danville, highlighting points of interest, local businesses, and amenities. The grant will also enable VAST to create an online adventure planner featuring St. Johnsbury and Danville. VAST also plans to use a portion of the funding to initiate an educational advertising campaign to promote the construction and maintenance of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, a premiere four-season multiple use recreation trail spanning Northern Vermont. Sanders previously secured a $5.2 million grant for construction of the 93-mile trail, which is set to begin this summer.

In a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders and Welch said: “Snowmobilers are a pillar of Vermont’s recreation economy. Each winter they help support jobs at general stores, hotels, restaurants and retail establishments along the VAST trail network and beyond. This grant will help attract more snowmobilers to the region and create economic opportunities for many small businesses.”

The grant, a Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG), is funded by USDA’s Rural Development office. RBEG funds are used to help community organizations partner with private business to create jobs and economic opportunities.

“On behalf of VAST and the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Committee (LVRTC), we are very pleased to receive funding through the RBEG program,” said VAST Executive Director Alexis Nelson. “This is positive news in support of our mission in developing the LVRT into a four season multiple use recreation trail and assisting our efforts in promoting the trail and the adjacent communities.”

The grant was part of a national announcement by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in which he said: "Small businesses are the backbone of the economy in small towns and rural communities, just as they are in our biggest cities. USDA supports small businesses by providing job training, business development opportunities, strategic community planning and other resources. We're focused on making sure that Main Street businesses have the tools they need to grow."

Congressional delegation (TUESDAY, June 18, 2013)

VSEA reinstates fired director Mark Mitchell pending external investigation

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:17:46 +0000

by Anne Galloway June 17, 2013 vtdigger.org The board of the state workers’ union voted Monday to reinstate Mark Mitchell as executive director of the Vermont State Employees Association, pending an investigation. Mitchell will be placed on paid administrative leave until the probe, which could last as long as a month, is completed.

Mitchell was abruptly dismissed by the board Wednesday after a seven-hour executive session. The board voted 10-5 to fire Mitchell without pay after two lawyers for the union, Mike Casey and Abigail Winters, accused him of violating labor laws.

The board held an emergency meeting Monday and reversed its decision after trustees engaged in a review of new information and a lengthy debate.

The investigation, which is to begin immediately, will be conducted by a third party, according to a statement from the association.

In an interview, Mitchell said he will be represented by Burlington attorney John Franco.

“I was gratified by the decision by the board today, and I look forward to the end of the investigation,” he said.

Mitchell did not attend the board meeting and has not been told what legal violations may have occurred under his watch.

Steve Howard, a lobbyist for the union, and Kathi Partlow, operations director, will serve as interim co-directors of the union. Previously, the board had named Casey as the temporary leader of VSEA.

The union released the following statement:

"Today’s action by the VSEA Board of Trustees demonstrates this body’s commitment to take the steps necessary to uphold VSEA’s values and to ensure the continued trust and confidence of our rank-and-file membership as we move forward together. The VSEA Board remains committed to promoting the values of this great union and to continuing to move the VSEA membership in a direction that builds power and promotes growth."

Vermont company to supply fuel gauging system for Airbus

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:31:06 +0000

UTC Aerospace Systems has been selected by Airbus to supply a common fuel gauging system for its single-aisle aircraft. The system was designed and will be produced by the Sensors & Integrated Systems team in Vergennes, Vermont (formerly Goodrich). UTC Aerospace Systems currently provides the full fuel gauging system for the Airbus A321 aircraft. This selection adds the A319, A320 and A320neo platforms. Initial production hardware deliveries will begin in Q1 of 2014. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX).

The fuel gauging system provides improved performance and reliability over earlier systems, and includes common fuel probes, indicators, and a fuel level sensing control unit across the Airbus single-aisle models. Use of a common system will provide value for Airbus during manufacturing and simplified operational maintenance for its customers.

"UTC Aerospace Systems was selected for this program because we offered a comprehensive fuel measurement solution Airbus could incorporate into their single-aisle aircraft family," said Jan Mathiesen, vice president, Sensors & Integrated Systems. "Our focus on customer needs, combined with our lean product development process will allow us to provide Airbus and its customers exceptional products and systems for the life of this program."

The Airbus single-aisle aircraft common fuel system has successfully completed fit check and system demonstration tests. Critical design review for the new system will be conducted in July 2013.

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.

United Technologies to acquire Goodrich Corporation | Vermont

For updates from United Technologies Corp's aerospace businesses visit www.utc.com or follow @UTC on Twitter.

www.utcaerospacesystems.com

In 2012, UTC Aerospace Systems was formed by combining two industry leaders, Hamilton Sundstrand and Goodrich, creating an organization with key positions on a wide range of aircraft flying today and substantial content on various UAVs, satellites and ground and naval vehicles. Our customers include original equipment manufacturers that build aircraft and helicopters, engine manufacturers, and airlines, as well as defense agencies and contractors. Our commitment is to help them develop and maintain safer, lighter, more reliable and more efficient aircraft and other platforms.

UTC Aerospace Systems is part of UTC Propulsion & Aerospace Systems, which also includes jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. UTC Propulsion & Aerospace Systems and Sikorsky Aircraft comprise the aerospace portfolio of United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), a diversified company that provides a broad range of high-technology products and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries. UTC Aerospace Systems employs more than 40,000 people worldwide with approximate annual sales of $13 billion.

SOURCE CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- PARIS AIR SHOW -- UTC Aerospace Systems

North Country Hospital joins Healthy Food Partnership

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:51:31 +0000

When we say North Country Hospital is the place where “caring runs deep” we really mean it! Not only do we give our best in caring for our patients, we care about the food they eat and their over-all health.

Our food and nutrition service has rolled out entirely new menu concepts for our patients and in the café. The new Hospital Healthy Food Initiative is the result of collaboration between our food service company Morrison and Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA).

“We've been at the forefront of the industry on health and wellness for more than two decades. The PHA partnership is an extension of our philosophy of offering wholesome, nutritious, and better-for-you foods and will allow us to make healthful choices easy and even more accessible to millions of patients, staff and visitors,” said Tim Pierce, CEO, Morrison.

In joining the initiative, Morrison agreed to make a commitment to adopt standards for nutrition labeling, healthy food marketing, wellness meal offerings, elimination of deep fat fryers, increases in healthy beverages and increases in fruits and vegetables offered. World class chefs and nutritionists at Morrison have created delicious new recipes for hospital menus.

Using the latest research on healthful eating and incorporating techniques that influence behavioral change in food consumption, Morrison will improve the health profile of the hospitals it serves by implementing such changes as:

· eliminating 5.7 million pounds of sugar from bottled beverages

· switching to exclusive use of whole grain or legume-based pasta in the 3.7 million pounds of pasta we serve each year

· offering whole grains as an alternative to the 1.9 million pounds of rice served annually

· offering better-for-you foods in place of high impulse low-nutrient food at cash registers

· reducing fat calories by using healthier, misted oils exclusively in appropriate applications

· and featuring images of healthy nutrient-rich food in our regular marketing promotions

“We believe we have a responsibility to help change people's lives through healthier food environments,” said Gordan Lodewyk, NCH manager of food and nutrition services. “By joining with PHA, Morrison can help hospitals in their mission of becoming models of healthful eating and implementing practices that support a more robust and healthier food system. They will be supporting us in encouraging behavioral change in the hospital environment and the community.”

MVP Health Care selects online enrollment fulfillment company

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:56:03 +0000

MVP Health Care has announced that it has selected sales automation technology company Connecture, Inc to facilitate an online shopping, enrollment, retention and billing platform for its Individual and Group products. Connecture's InsureAdvantage is a modular offering designed to integrate seamlessly with health plan websites and business processes. It will enable MVP's members to select and enroll online in the right health plan for them.

MVP Health Care is a not-for-profit health insurer, serving members in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire, offering a full range of health insurance products, including fully-insured and self-funded employer health benefits plans; government programs/safety net programs, including Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and Child Health Plus; dental insurance and ancillary health insurance products; and products that will be offered in the Health Benefit Exchanges being built in New York and Vermont. InsureAdvantage will streamline and simplify the online health insurance purchasing process available to MVP members while simultaneously enabling MVP to effectively do business with the New York and Vermont Exchanges.

"We want our members to be able to find and enroll in the best plan with the absolute confidence that they are making the right decision," said David Crosby, MVP Health Care's Executive Vice President of Commercial Business. "We were impressed by Connecture's 15-year track record, its expertise with government systems and public exchanges, and its ability to create user-centered solutions."

Connecture is also building the shopping and enrollment functions for the ACA health insurance marketplaces in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Minnesota.

"MVP Health Care offers an exceptional example of how health plans can take the costs and friction out of the health insurance purchasing process," said Dave Sockel, Chief Revenue Officer of Connecture. "MVP is also one of the first health plans in the nation to proactively move to put the systems in place that are needed to effectively and efficiently do business in both the government and commercial insurance marketplaces."

About Connecture
Connecture is the leading provider of Web-based information systems used to create health insurance marketplaces and exchanges. Its industry-proven solutions enable consumers, employers and brokers to more easily shop for, purchase and renew health insurance while minimizing back-office administrative expenses for health plans. Connecture's solutions are provided to health plans, state insurance exchanges, private exchanges and insurance brokers. More than 25 million Americans shop for their health insurance through systems built by Connecture, and more than half of the nation's 20 largest plans rely on them to sell, administer and manage their plans and products effectively. For more information, visit www.connecture.com.

About MVP Health Care

Founded in 1983, MVP Health Care is a community-focused, not-for-profit health insurer serving members in the states of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Through its operating subsidiaries, MVP Health Care provides fully-insured and self-funded employer health benefits plans, dental insurance, and ancillary products, such as flexible-spending accounts, to more than 613,000 members. For more information, visitwww.mvphealthcare.com.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. & SCHENECTADY, N.Y., June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MVP Health Care

HUD awards grants to help prevent foreclosures in Vermont

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:18:32 +0000

As part of its continuing effort to assist families and individuals with their housing needs and to prevent future foreclosures, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced $37,810.00 in housing counseling grants to two local Vermont organizations: Central Vermont Community Action Council, Inc. of Barre and Bennington-Rutland Opportunity Council, Inc of Rutland.

In addition to the funding provided to these agencies, HUD is awarding nearly $29 million to national, regional and multi-state counseling agencies that may also have an impact in Vermont communities. The Vermont grants are part of $40 million in funding being announced nationwide to 334 national, regional and local organizations. As a result of these grants and the additional funding they help leverage, more than 1.6 million households will have a greater opportunity to find housing, make more informed housing choices or keep their current homes.

“Make no mistake: these grants will do a lot of good,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “The HUD-approved counseling agencies this funding supports are crucial in helping families manage their money, navigate the homebuying process, and secure their financial futures. The evidence is clear that housing counseling works. These grants are a smart investment to help families and individuals find and keep housing which helps promote neighborhood stability in the long term.”

More than $38 million in grant funds will directly support the housing counseling services provided by 27 national and regional organizations, 8 multi-state organizations, 22 State Housing Finance Agencies (SHFAs) and 277 local housing counseling agencies. In addition, HUD is awarding $2 million to two national organizations to train housing counselors who will receive the instruction and certification necessary to effectively assist families with their housing needs.

Working in consultation with housing counseling industry stakeholders, HUD’s new Office of Housing Counseling substantially streamlined the application process for these grants. A number of procedural improvements were made to the application process and program requirements, which encourage the development of efficient and effective counseling programs and reduce the administrative burden on applicants. HUD awards annual grants under the housing counseling program through a competitive process. Organizations that apply for grants must be HUD-approved and are subject to monitoring and oversight to maintain their HUD-approved status.

National and regional agencies distribute much of HUD’s housing counseling grant funding to community-based organizations that assist low- and moderate-income families to improve their housing conditions. In addition, these larger organizations help improve the quality of housing counseling services and enhance coordination among counseling providers. Read a summary of each grant, organized by state.

HUD studies show the effectiveness of housing counseling. Last year, HUD released two reports on the impact of HUD-approved housing counseling for families who purchase their first homes and those struggling to prevent foreclosure. In both studies, HUD found housing counseling significantly improved the likelihood homeowners remained in their homes.

Grant recipients utilize funding to address the full range of families’ housing counseling needs. This includes helping homebuyers and homeowners realistically evaluate their readiness for a home purchase, understand their financing and downpayment options, and navigate what can be an extremely confusing and difficult process. Grantees also help households find affordable rental housing and offer financial literacy training to individuals and families struggling to repair credit problems that restrict their housing options. In addition to providing counseling to homebuyers and renters, these organizations assist homeless persons in finding the transitional housing they need to move toward a permanent place to live. Finally, grantees also assist senior citizens seeking reverse mortgages or Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM). These agencies provide counseling for the rapidly growing number of elderly homeowners who seek to convert equity in their homes into income that can be used to pay for home improvements, medical costs, and other living expenses.

Housing counseling agencies support fair housing by assisting borrowers in reviewing their loan documentation, to avoid potential mortgage scams, unreasonably high interest rates, inflated appraisals, unaffordable repayment terms, and other conditions that can result in a loss of equity, increased debt, default, and even foreclosure. Likewise, foreclosure prevention counseling helps homeowners facing delinquency or default employ strategies, including expense reduction, negotiation with lenders and loan servicers, and loss mitigation, to avoid foreclosure.

See list of all counseling agencies awarded funding today.

HUD 6.18.2013

Vermont Company wants to bring baseball manufacturing back to Haiti, launches crowd-source funding

tim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:21:48 +0000

A new Vermont company, Touch ‘Em All, just announced that it has launched a crowd-source funding effort to bring baseball manufacturing back to Haiti. As part of this campaign, Touch ‘Em All has posted a short documentary film about its efforts in Haiti on YouTube: link to film.

Initially, Touch ‘Em All will raise $50,000 on IndieGoGo.com in a 60-day campaign. Those funds will enable acquisition of equipment to immediately start hiring Haitian workers in Port Au Prince to make Touch ‘Em All’s premium baseballs. A follow-on fund raising effort will seek another $250,000, the funds needed to (A) fully staff manufacturing operations with 100 positions in Port Au Prince, (B) implement high-volume manufacturing, and (C) develop U.S. markets for Touch ‘Em All’s products.

“Nearly all American baseballs were made in Haiti until the early 1990s, when Rawlings left due to political instability,” said Will Forest. “Today, baseballs are made mostly in China, and that’s a trend we’re determined to reverse, as we bring good-paying jobs with dignity back to Haiti.”Leading up to this effort, Will Forest, Touch ‘Em All’s founder, recently traveled to Haiti to engage the Haitian experts that used to manage Rawlings’ baseball-making operations, including the master baseball maker named Marc Peyan, who is featured in Touch ‘Em All’s documentary. Peyan’s baseball design is the one used today in all Major League baseballs. While in Haiti, Mr. Forest sourced the premium goatskin leather to use in Touch ‘Em All’s new baseballs. He also engaged Max Conde as a consultant; Conde used to run Rawlings’ Haitian baseball making operations.

Link to IndieGogo: http://bit.ly/13D7SHF
Link to Touch ‘Em All’s documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERKHecTz5O0

Vermont-Québec Electric Charging Corridor is expected to open this fall

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:49:10 +0000

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Québec Premier Pauline Marois today unveiled the first sites of the Vermont-Québec Electric Charging Corridor. The corridor is the result of an agreement between Drive Electric Vermont and the Québec-based Electric Circuit.

The corridor will initially link Burlington and Montréal and – thanks to the more than 20 charging stations installed along the route – will give electric vehicle drivers assurance that they can charge when needed along the route between Vermont and Québec. The number of charging stations is expected to increase with the signing of new partnership agreements. Construction of the stations is progressing smoothly, and the 138 mile corridor which includes I-89 and Highway A-10, Rte 104 and Rte 133, is expected to open this fall.

The electric car charging station is introduced at Healthy Living in South Burlington by GMP CEO Mary Powell in January 2011. VBM Photo

"Alternative fuel vehicles lower our reliance on gasoline, helping both our environment and our energy independence. With the number of alternative energy vehicles growing at tremendous rates, these stations, along with websites identifying their location, will support visitors and residents as they use this clean and efficient mode of transportation,” said Gov. Shumlin. “Using electricity rather than gasoline will mean clean transportation for the region at a lower cost. I am pleased to join Premier Marois in announcing the significant progress that has been made on the Vermont-Québec Electric Charging Corridor”

“Electrification of transport is a priority of the Government of Québec,” said Premier Marois. “The partnership between Vermont and Québec is a long one filled with many issues of common interests. Today’s announcement outlining the installation of the electric charging network is a concrete example of our shared leadership in the field of sustainable development and clean energy use.”

In addition to announcing the initial corridor, the agreement also envisions continued cooperation towards installing similar corridors on other cross-border routes, including Magog-Sherbrooke-St. Johnsbury.

The initiative is the result of discussions that began at the most recent Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) and provides a powerful example of what cross-border cooperation can produce. The State of Vermont, Québec, and a group including Hydro-Québec, Green Mountain Power Corporation, the Burlington Electric Department, and Drive Electric Vermont, are currently looking into other ways to bolster public infrastructure for electric cars.

The official opening of the corridor will take place this fall.

Corridor’s Recharge Sites

Vermont

St-Albans

· Maplefield’s Mobile (2 chargers)

Colchester

· St. Michael’s College (2 chargers)

Burlington

· Lakeview Garage (4 chargers)

City Market (1 charger)
Chittenden Superior Court (1 charger)

South Burlington

· Burlington International Airport

· Healthy Living Market and Café (2 chargers)

Waterbury

· Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Visitor Center (2 chargers)

Montpelier

· Lost Nation Theater (2 chargers)

· Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services (2 chargers)

Vergennes

· DR Power Equipment (2 chargers)

Middlebury

· Addison County Regional Planning Commission (4 chargers)

South Royalton

· Vermont Law School (4 chargers)

Manchester

· Hand Chevrolet (1 charger)

South Londonderry

· Mountain Energy of Vermont (2 chargers)

Québec

Montréal

Place des Arts (4 chargers)
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth (1 charger)
Bell Centre (2 chargers)
Casino de Montréal (2 chargers)

Brossard

AMT Chevrier lot (2 chargers)
RONA Quartier DIX30 (2 chargers)
METRO (2 chargers)
Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert (1 charger)

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

City library (1 charger)
Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert (1 charger)

Partners:

Green Mountain Power:

Green Mountain Power is focused on providing Vermonters with a balance of the most reliable, affordable, smart, and clean electricity possible. They have a long-term vision to help plug-in car owners make the electric system, as well as driving, more efficient. In the near term, they aim to help customers substitute electricity for gasoline to reduce driving costs and pollution.

Burlington Electric:

Burlington Electric Department is the municipal utility for the City of Burlington. BED serves 16,000 residential and 3,600 commercial customers. In 2012, overall electricity usage in Burlington was 5.3 percent lower than in 1989, the year before an energy efficiency bond was passed by Burlington voters. BED’s motto is efficiency first, renewable second.

Drive Electric Vermont:

Drive Electric Vermont is a statewide coalition of policy makers, industry leaders, and ordinary citizens dedicated to promoting the spread of electric transportation in the state. It is a project of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation in partnership with the State of Vermont, Project Get Ready, and a broad array of stakeholders advancing electric vehicle technology. More information is available at their website, www.driveelectricvt.com/.

The Electric Circuit
The Electric Circuit is a major initiative in the rollout of charging infrastructure needed to support the arrival of plug-in vehicles in Québec.

The Electric Circuit now offers almost 160 charging stations (240 V) in parking lots of the AMT, as well as those of many RONA hardware stores, Metro grocery stores and St-Hubert restaurants throughout Québec. Since its launch in March 2012, 34 other private and institutional partners have joined the Electric Circuit. It will continue to expand in order to provide greater geographical coverage and serve more EV drivers in several regions of Québec.

While EV owners do most of their charging at home and at work, drivers can travel worry-free, knowing they can top up their batteries on the road if they need to. Electric Circuit users also have access to a 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Québec, as well as a charging station locator service. The Electric Circuit Web site, www.theelectriccircuit.com, is updated as new stations are installed or commissioned.

SBA disaster assistance available to private non-profit organizations in Vermont

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:23:21 +0000

The US Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private Non-Profit Organizations in Vermont that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available as a result of a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by the severe storms and flooding on May 22-26, 2013.

PNPs located in Chittenden, Essex and Lamoille counties in Vermont that provide non-critical services are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

"PNP organizations are urged to contact the town in which they operate to obtain information about local briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives will provide information about their organization," saidFrank Skaggs, Director of SBA Field Operations Center East. The information will be used to submit a Request for Public Assistance which FEMA uses to determine if the PNP provides an essential governmental service and meets the definition of a "critical facility." Based upon that conclusion, FEMA may provide the PNP with a Public Assistance reimbursement grant for their eligible costs or refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance.

PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The interest rate is 2.875 percent with terms up to 30 years. The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses to PNP organizations of all sizes. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA's secure website athttps://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an e-mail todisastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA's website atwww.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is August 12, 2013 . The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 13, 2014 .

For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov.

ATLANTA, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/

Logic Supply receives initial approval of $300,000 from Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:24:12 +0000

Logic Supply, a South Burlington-based industrial computer company, has been initially approved for a Vermont Employment Growth Incentive by the Vermont Economic Progress Council.

The Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) is an economic incentive program for Vermont business growth and expansion. VEGI provides cash payments based on the return generated to the State by job creation and capital investments, to businesses that have been authorized to earn the incentive and meet performance requirements.

On April 25, 2013 the Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) voted to authorize Logic Supply for the VEGI incentive. Conditioned on hitting performance benchmarks, $300,000 will be awarded to Logic Supply over nine years. Final approval of the incentive is expected later in 2013.

“This is exactly the kind of company and project that has helped keep Vermont’s economy growing,” said Lawrence Miller, Secretary of Commerce. “Logic Supply was founded and grown in Vermont, but is competitive globally and the VEGI program is one way we can help ensure that Logic Supply’s success means investment and good jobs for Vermonters.”

“The State of Vermont has been an incredible resource to Logic Supply and assisted our growth over the years. We are thrilled to work with the VEPC going forward as we continue to add new high tech jobs and contribute to Vermont's overall economic expansion” said Logic Supply’s Co-Founder and COO, Lisa Groeneveld.

Logic Supply was founded in 2003 by Roland and Lisa Groeneveld to serve an expanding market for small-form-factor, rugged computers. Though they started in Boston, in 2004 Lisa and Roland moved the business to Vermont to be closer to Lisa’s family in Barre. The business has grown steadily over the years. To date, Logic Supply has served over 50,000 customers. In 2010, Logic Supply opened a dedicated office in Taipei. In 2011, Logic Supply began operations in Europe, based in the Netherlands. The company employs nearly 50 people in its Vermont USA headquarters.

Logic Supply computers are typically used in specialized, single-purpose systems. They power kiosks and digital signs, control pieces of machinery and medical equipment, and serve in monitoring devices of all kinds. Local Vermont customers include Draker Solar, Champlain Orchards, Veedims, and Pwnie Express.

The VEGI incentive was a necessary component for the addition of new, high paying jobs in Engineering, Computer Production, and related positions needed to meet the company’s ambitious growth targets for the future. Logic Supply expects to break ground on a $2 million expansion for their current building in early May, 2014.

About Logic Supply

Logic Supply is a specialized systems provider serving the embedded and industrial computing market. With locations in the USA, Europe, and Asia, Logic Supply provides pre-configured small form factor systems, the most comprehensive selection of compatible components, and unique computer hardware.Through LGX Systems, the company offers custom engineering services and develops innovative, rugged hardware products. Visit the Logic Supply website at www.logicsupply.com or visit the Logic Supply EU website at www.logicsupply.eu.

June 17, 2013 - Logic Supply

Vermont fine furniture company receives $100,000 working lands grant award

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:19:35 +0000

Vermont Woods Studios online fine furniture to be awarded a $100,000 working lands Grant Award. The Vermont Woods Studios was selected to receive a $100,000 grant to be used to complete the construction and landscaping of Stonehurst, their Vermont made furniture showroom.

Once a rural farm property and former ski area, Stonehurst is being transformed into a destination furniture gallery featuring exclusively Vermont made hardwood furniture.

The working lands grant is intended to support businesses that work in Vermont’s agriculture and forest product sectors, in an effort to enhance business development and job creation.

Vermont Woods Studios markets and retails for many furniture workshops throughout the state, which in turn provides work for dozens of craftspeople and suppliers.

Vermont Woods Studios is currently open to the public while work is still underway, but anticipates completing the transformation by September 2013.

Governor Peter Shumlin will be presenting awards at 11 am on Tuesday, June 18th at Beaveher Brook Tree Farm in Marshfield, Vermont.

About Vermont Woods Studios

Vermont Woods Studios has been offering sustainable, American made fine furniture in Vermont and online for over 7 years. Their work has been recognized by national media including ABC World News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fox News and The Weather Channel.

Vernon, Vermont – June 13, 2013

Governor signs legislation to promote energy efficiency and clean energy for homes, farms and businesses

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:08:15 +0000

Governor Peter Shumlin today signed into law three bills that will improve access to energy efficiency and clean energy for Vermonters. The legislative package will provide new financing options through VEDA and the Treasurer’s Office for projects meeting state energy goals, make improvements to the state’s thermal efficiency programs, and streamline the permitting process for farm digester projects.

The governor signed the bill at the second annual Clean Energy Finance Summit at UVM, which he co-hosted with US Senator Bernie Sanders. The event also included US Representative Peter Welch and a keynote address by Dr. David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.

“In Vermont we have led the nation with ground-breaking energy efficiency programs that help families and businesses save money while cutting carbon emissions and promoting economic development,” Gov. Shumlin said. “Today, I am proud to sign legislation that will continue our progress on energy efficiency, and create new financing programs for the residential and commercial sectors. I am also pleased to sign a new law that will make it easier for farmers to install digesters that protect the environment and produce local clean energy.”

“The Treasurer’s Office partnered with the Governor, Legislators, VEDA, and our Local Investment Working Committee to create a cost-effective pathway to finance clean energy and energy efficiency projects at no risk to the taxpayer,” said Treasurer Beth Pearce. “Commercial and residential groups may now finance these important projects while lowering the cost of capital. I am proud of our work to improve Vermont’s energy future while supporting our local economy and creating jobs.”

“The new Sustainable Energy Loan Program at VEDA will be a tremendous help to the many Vermont businesses and farms, large and small, that seek to invest in their energy futures in sustainable ways,” said Jo Bradley, VEDA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Over the years, VEDA has made a number of low-interest loans to support renewable energy and energy conservation projects, and we look forward to providing financing for many more such projects in the future. We sincerely want to thank the Administration, Legislative Leaders, State Treasurer Beth Pearce and our banking and economic development partners throughout Vermont for their assistance in getting this important legislation passed.”

“We know that there is a significant opportunity through thermal efficiency to reduce fuel bills and energy consumption, and the new legislation and financing tools move us in the right direction,” said Christopher Recchia, Commissioner of the Public Service Department. “I look forward to continuing work to develop long-term strategies and programs to help us reach our state goals, such as improving energy efficiency in 80,000 homes by 2020.”

“We were pleased to work with VEDA in developing this program,” said Jim Merriam, Director of Efficiency Vermont. “The Vermont Sustainable Energy Loan Fund will address a very real need for businesses by enabling them to make investments that will decrease their energy bills and improve their bottom lines.”

The new financing law authorizes VEDA to borrow up to $10 million from the State Treasury to establish two new commercial sector loan programs and a new energy efficiency loan guarantee program Additional funds for loss reserves will be provided by the Clean Energy Development Fund and Efficiency Vermont. The bill also provides $6.5 million for residential efficiency loans through a program run by Vermont Housing Finance Agency. The loan programs leverage capital through a public-private partnership to help businesses save energy. The thermal efficiency law makes improvements to state building energy standards, including authorizing a more efficient “stretch code” for large residential developments that must comply with Act 250. The law also clarifies Vermont’s continued participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which will result in increasing revenue to Vermont to be dedicated to thermal efficiency programs. In addition, the law requires a Public Service Board report on options to improve thermal efficiency efforts, and makes changes to the Home Weatherization Assistance Program to prioritize assistance to LIHEAP recipients for buildings that are the least efficient.

The new farm digester law streamlines the process for farmers to install digesters by removing the non-energy producing portion of the project from the jurisdiction of the Public Service Board. The Board will retain jurisdiction over energy production from those digesters.

June 17, 2013 – BURLINGTON – Governor's office

Sequestration adds to funding shortages felt by Vermont public housing authorities

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:02:28 +0000

by Hilary Niles June 14, 2013 vtdigger.org Vermont’s public housing authorities are being forced to spend down their Section 8 reserves in order to keep rental subsidy programs alive in response to a protracted cycle of defunding.

Most are also choosing to admit fewer low-income Vermonters into the program in the near-term, rather than face the prospect of taking the benefit away down the road.

Nine local housing authorities and the Vermont State Housing Authority administer the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program in Vermont — part of a nationwide, federally funded program that subsidizes the cost of rent for low-income families, the elderly and disabled citizens.

The Vermont Association of Public Housing Directors estimated this spring that 774 Section 8 vouchers, or 11.4 percent of the state’s 6,792 authorized vouchers, would not be used in 2013 due to inadequate funding as a result of federal sequestration. The $49.3 million program was expected to run about $5.5 million short.

Joanne Troiano, executive director of Montpelier Housing Authority and chair of the association, explained that “for the most part in Vermont, we haven’t had to cut people out of Section 8.” That’s because last fall, when housing authorities understood they would be faced with federal defunding, they stopped re-issuing vouchers when people cycled off the program.

The housing authorities reasoned that, without sufficient funding, granting fewer subsidies would be the only way to ensure their programs would stay solvent for the tenants who remain enrolled.

“The worst thing in the world would be to issue a voucher to a needy family and then take it back the next year. That is worse than not issuing it in the first place,” said Charles “Chip” Castle, executive director of Barre Housing Authority. “We’re not going to let our reserves go down to zero.”

Half-life of Section 8

Troiano echoed that her board of directors in Montpelier “has a longstanding policy that we will never throw anybody off the program” for lack of funding.

Housing authorities therefore protect their reserves — even at the expense of the number of tenants they serve, which unravels funding in a self-perpetuating conundrum.

“We’ve been getting less and less funding, so I lease less units, so they give me less funding, so I lease less units, and I can never get back to where I was,” Troiano said.

Federal sequestration has cut even more dollars out of the equation, but it’s hardly responsible for the attrition Vermont’s Section 8 programs are now facing.

Castle said that in Barre, he’s been dipping into Section 8 reserves for four or five years to keep the program afloat. “Sequestration is just an unfortunate icing on the cake — a bad tasting icing,” he said.

But Castle — and the population his agency serves — are lucky that Barre has the reserves to spend. “Others don’t have a dime,” he said.

Set-aside money

St. Albans Housing Authority is a couple of months from depleting its reserves, according to Paul Dettman, executive director of the Burlington Housing Authority, which also manages the St. Albans agency.

Some emergency funding from HUD is available from a special “set-aside” fund, meant to prevent on-the-brink Section 8 programs from having to remove people from the program. St. Albans has applied for the emergency aid.

But as Brattleboro PHA executive director Christine Hart explained, “One of the criteria for that is that is you have to spend all your (Section 8) reserves.”

Dettman said that reserves are built up over time if an agency has been “lucky enough” to receive more funding than it needed in a given cycle. Reserves are not a matter of management style, he said.

But holding onto them is a management choice. Hart and Castle underscored their reluctance to jeopardize one of their largest programs and the people who rely on it by running down their Section 8 reserve funds.

“You’ve got to run a housing authority like you run any business,” Castle said. “You have to have enough set aside that if something goes wrong, you can keep going.”

Hart is sympathetic to HUD’s own funding woes that the agency must pass on to smaller agencies to keep itself afloat. But she’s experienced first-hand what happens when something goes wrong.

Earlier this year, Brattleboro’s Shelter Plus Care program went two months without receiving scheduled funding. Hart said HUD was good about extending the previous year’s grant to cover one month, and her own agency was able to cover the next. The late money came through and the program is back on track, but it was a lesson in backup plans.

“HUD is a massive agency, running millions of dollars of programs. There are glitches,” Hart said. “That’s why you don’t go to zero reserves.”

Vying for state attention

Currently no state dollars in Vermont flow to the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.

“The good news is that state of Vermont hasn’t had to pay for that,” Castle said. “The bad news is, the state of Vermont may have to step up to the plate in the very near future.”

But Dettman explained that the very fact that Vermont doesn’t contribute to Section 8 makes it hard to convey the impact that the program’s contraction will have on state resources.

“We’re funded directly by HUD … so state lawmakers don’t pay as much attention. Nor does the Shumlin administration,” he said.

“Jim Reardon (state finance commissioner) is talking about the impact of federal cuts on the state budget, and our cuts don’t appear there,” Dettman said. “It’s not obvious and visible to them that this loss is taking place. But it has impact. If it means more people are homeless, that means the state of Vermont has to serve (them).”

HUD’s field officer in Vermont, Mike McNamara, could not be reached for comment. According to his voice mail, his office was closed for the day — on furlough, due to the federal sequestration.

Shumlin signs Sportsmen’s Act of 2013

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:54:29 +0000

Joined Friday by sportsmen and women at the Barre Fish and Game Club, Governor Peter Shumlin signed the Sportsmen’s Act of 2013, legislation spearheaded by the Fish & Wildlife Department in coordination with members of the Legislature and many hunting, fishing, trapping, and other traditional interest groups.

“This law represents the important working relationship between the Fish & Wildlife Department, the administration, legislators, and key fish and wildlife partners,” said Gov. Shumlin. “It will protect our fish and wildlife resources, provide additional recreational opportunities, and support improved administration for the department and the Fish and Wildlife Board.”

The bill includes the following provisions:

Prohibits the importation and possession of feral hogs in Vermont. Many state fish and wildlife agencies are fully engaged in attempts to reduce or eradicate wild hog populations, which can carry various diseases and are extremely destructive to wildlife habitat.

Requires that any person taking a nuisance bear must first attempt reasonable non-lethal measures to protect his or her own property. Under current law, there is no requirement for property owners to create an aversion for bears who may threaten property. In the law, there is an exemption for exigent circumstances or damage to corn fields.

Prohibits the intentional feeding of black bears. Previously, there was no prohibition for feeding black bears in Vermont, which has increased the number of nuisance bear problems in the state.

Repeals reimbursement for deer and bear damage. The Fish & Wildlife Department is no longer required to reimburse a claimant for damage to crops, fruit trees or crop bearing plants by deer; and for damage to livestock and bees by black bear unless the claimant derives at least 50 percent of their income from farming.

Allows landowners the opportunity to legally post their property so that hunting, fishing and trapping would be allowed only by permission. Previously, landowners wanting to control access for these activities were forced to post against trespass by anyone, which led to an increase in the amount of inaccessible land in Vermont.

Defines posting for landowners wishing to receive a landowner antlerless deer hunting permit to mean any signage that would lead a reasonable person to believe that hunting is restricted on the land. Previously, some landowners were posting their land against hunting, but not registering with the town clerk according to Fish & Wildlife law – and then applying for priority landowner antlerless deer hunting permits. The bill makes it clear that these landowners would not be allowed to receive landowner antlerless permits.

Clarifies that a person who is under suspension for the right to hunt, fish and trap may not hunt on their own property during the period of suspension.

Increases the distance a hunter can shoot from the road from 10 feet to 25 feet, prohibits shooting across a public highway, and creates a working group to address the taking of game from motor vehicles or public highways in Vermont. The working group will consist of the Commissioner or a designee, two members of the Fish and Wildlife Board, two State Game Wardens, and two people who hold a valid Vermont hunting license. The group must report back to legislative committees with recommendations by December 15, 2013.

Allows for possession of handguns during archery season and while training hunting dogs. Creates more consistency with rights currently afforded to hikers, wildlife watchers and others.

Authorizes the Commissioner to designate an additional Free Fishing Day during ice fishing season. One of Fish & Wildlife’s goals is to enhance opportunities for wildlife-based recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing. This would encourage people to try ice fishing.

Grants authority to the Fish and Wildlife Board to regulate the use of crossbows during hunting seasons. Under current statute, there is ambiguity as to whether the Board has authority to regulate the use of crossbows.

Authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Board to set the annual number of antlerless deer and moose permits through a shorter procedure, rather than through a lengthy rule-making process. It also requires public participation in that process and requires permit numbers to be incorporated into the department’s annual deer report to the Legislature. Previously, when Fish & Wildlife proposed annual antlerless deer and moose permit numbers to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board, the permit numbers were authorized through a rule-making process that took at least four months. By allowing the permit numbers to be approved through a shorter procedure, hunters will receive their permits earlier.

Authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Board to set Wildlife Management Unit boundaries no more frequently than every 10 years without approval of the Legislature. Previously, any wildlife management unit boundary change had to be approved by Legislature. Transferring authority to the Fish and Wildlife Board to periodically alter unit boundaries will maintain consistency in wildlife management programs, yet still allow for public input into unit boundaries.

Transfers permitting authority from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the State of Vermont for falconry permits. A federal regulation change requires falconers to obtain a single state permit that needs to comply with the general federal regulations. Vermont has until Sept.. 1, 2013, to submit compliance documentation.

Allows the Commissioner to issue three no-cost moose permits for individuals with a life-threatening illness provided that at least one permit is awarded to an individual under the age of 22. Statute currently authorizes the department to issue up to three no-cost moose hunting licenses only to youths age 21 years or younger who have life-threatening illnesses.

Authorizes the department to raffle off promotional prizes in an effort to increase public involvement and participation in department activities.

Sets a minimum amount of $1,500 for a winning bid to receive a moose permit in the moose hunting permit auction.

Allows the Commissioner to issue an annual therapeutic group fishing license to a health professional for up to four people for $50. The fee is waived if the applicant providing care is a certified “Let’s Go Fishing” instructor.

“I want to thank all of you who worked together to shepherd this comprehensive bill through the legislative process,” said the Governor. “The Sportsmen’s Act of 2013 will benefit Vermont’s fish and wildlife resources, as well as those of us who enjoy them. It seems fitting that we are adopting it shortly after Vermont was recognized in a federal survey as the state with the second highest participation rate in fish and wildlife-based recreation, second only to Alaska.”

VERMONT’S WILDLIFE RECREATION AT A GLANCE -- 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Census Bureau.

Vermonters rank first among residents of the lower 48 states in enjoying fish and wildlife resources recreationally with 62 percent of us going fishing, hunting or wildlife watching. Nationally, Alaskans are slightly ahead of us with a participation rate of 64 pecent.

Vermont topped all the other states nationwide in “wildlife watching” with 53 percent of our residents viewing, feeding or photographing wildlife during 2011.

Vermont led the New England states in hunting and fishing with 26 percent of residents participating in one or the other, or both.

Residents and nonresidents spent $704 million in Vermont enjoying fish and wildlife recreation, according to a 2011 federal survey. Hunting $268.7 million // Fishing $147.2 million // Wildlife Watching $288.5 million

Governor's office. 6.14.2013

Reasons for VSEA director’s ouster coming, Casey says, Mitchell hopes for reinstatement

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:37:46 +0000

by Anne Galloway June 16, 2013 vtdigger.org Unions exist to protect members from management excesses and unfair labor practices. That’s why the news that the Vermont State Employees Association summarily fired its executive director on Wednesday without a cited cause, without an opportunity to refute accusations and without severance pay has perplexed union members and led to questions about whether Mark Mitchell’s ouster was a “palace coup.”

Former VSEA Executive Director Mark Mitchell.

The rumors swirling around the meeting in which two union lawyers, Abigail Winters and Michael Casey, accused Mitchell of knowingly allowing the union to violate labor laws, have continued unabated. Specifics about just what laws were violated and how have not been forthcoming.

The management infighting at the Vermont State Employees Association will likely take a few more nasty turns in the coming days, as the union’s higher-ups attempt to resolve what has become a crisis over the executive director’s sudden dismissal.

Casey, in an interview, said the reason for Mitchell’s firing is “crystal clear from my perspective.”

“Tomorrow, I suspect we will have much more information available,” Casey said.

The board voted 10-5 to oust Mitchell, after a seven-hour executive session on Wednesday in which Casey and Winters are said to have relentlessly assailed Mitchell. No other staff, including the executive director, were allowed into the meeting. At 5 p.m., when Mitchell was asked to resign, he refused. Later a vague statement about the nature of the attorneys’ allegations came to light in an email Casey sent to board members in which he accused Mitchell of “exposing the VSEA to liability.” He alleged in an email that Mitchell withheld “clear and willful violations of the law” from the board.

Mitchell maintains he has nothing to hide, and he holds out hope that the decision will be reconsidered in a board meeting Monday or at a council meeting on Tuesday.

“My conscience is clear,” Mitchell says. “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t feel my return would be difficult.”

John Reese, board president, said in a previous report that some of the allegations, if proven true, could be substantive. None of the allegations were criminal, egregious or malicious in nature, he said.

“A lot of the allegations were personal things. It was clear it was more of a personal attack rather than, ‘oh, gee, we’ve got to save our organization from doom,’” Reese said.

In an interview, Casey declined to comment about what labor laws might have been violated, nor was he willing to reveal any specifics about the nature of the allegations. Casey said he and Winters conducted an internal investigation into the matter that consisted of an extensive review of records and email correspondence, staff interviews and correspondence and conversations with Mitchell.

Mitchell says neither attorney presented the board with concerns about union policies or practices in previous meetings that would have led him to believe there was a problem. Sources say that in the daylong executive session, the two lawyers cited technical misinterpretations of labor laws, including an allegation that the union wasn’t paying overtime to salaried union field representatives. In 2003, the union determined that field reps were exempted from overtime pay because they are professionals who hold bachelor’s degrees in labor relations or public administration.

Mitchell says there are no lawsuits pending against the union, and the U.S. Department of Labor has not issued any judgments against the VSEA during his tenure.

Casey said while there are no pending lawsuits or judgments against the union, he couldn’t confirm or deny the threat of an impending lawsuit.

Mitchell is consulting with an employment lawyer to address what he calls an attempt by board members to “impugn” his reputation in recent remarks to Seven Days reporter Paul Heintz that echo Casey’s email allegations. Mitchell, who was hired in December 2011, is 18 months into a three-year contract.

“In my opinion, if Mitchell’s reputation has been impugned, he has no one to blame but himself,” Casey said.

Word leaked out about the firing Thursday, and within hours, Casey, general counsel for VSEA, issued a gag order via email to the union’s 19-member staff, routing all press inquiries to the communications director, Doug Gibson. A day later, after Reese told Heintz the firing was “crazy” and “unfair,” Casey issued an email to the board expressing his dismay that Reese had publicly mischaracterized what happened in a confidential executive session. Casey urged board members to use the following explanation to the press: “The accurate response to the press will be that Mark Mitchell was dismissed because the Board of Trustees, after extensive review of information and discussion, concluded that he knowingly allowed the organization to violate numerous laws, exposing VSEA to liability.”

Former board president Bob Hooper who lost his bid for the ED post has criticized Mitchell’s performance in the media, and Hooper, sources say, is waiting in the wings to take over should Mitchell fail to be reinstated. Casey, the general counsel for the union, who led the charge to fire Mitchell, is running the union’s day-to-day operations.

The battle over who will lead the union comes at a crucial time. The board, which hires the ED, is in the middle of a re-election that will take place next month and turnover is likely. The VSEA is also engaged in initial collective bargaining meetings with the Shumlin administration. Negotiations begin in August. Several sources affiliated with the union said the sudden, controversial departure of Mitchell will weaken the VSEA’s position going into collective bargaining.

At issue is whether cooperation or conflict is more effective in the delicate negotiations between the administration and the union. Mitchell, an outsider who has extensive organizing experience in other states, is widely seen as having a less conciliatory approach to the governor. Sources question whether Mitchell’s somewhat pushier style will help the union overcome its reputation among some members as a weak institution that doesn’t do enough to fight for higher wages and better benefits or whether it will backfire and make negotiations with the Shumlin administration more difficult. The union, during the recession, under former executive director Jes Kraus, agreed to job cuts, hiring freezes and 3 percent pay cuts.

Whatever the outcome of the union meetings this week, there is no question that Mitchell has been a controversial leader. Less than a year after he came on board in December 2011, a third of the staff quit, including several prominent longtime employees such as Conor Casey, the former government relations director, and Lucinda Kirk, a field organizer who circulated a letter last fall calling for Mitchell’s firing.

Mitchell downplayed the departures in an interview and said it was the result of his commitment to the board’s No. 1 priority, which he said is to transform the union from a top-down, staff-oriented association into a grassroots, “member-led” organization.

He released the following letter to VSEA members on Saturday:

Dear VSEA Union Sisters and Brothers,

It has been an honor to serve as the Executive Director of your union for the last 18 months. I have met hundreds of you at Chapter meetings, Council meetings, committee meetings, and at the over 100 worksite meetings in which I have participated in during my tenure. What I heard from you was a collective desire for a more effective, democratic, transparent and participatory union. It was your vision for VSEA that guided my day-to-day work as your Executive Director.

Like many of you, I was shocked, confused and saddened when certain members of your Board of Trustees voted to terminate my employment last Wednesday. This decision has come at a time when your union is steadily growing its power and credibility in both the workplace and in the political arena. Your strong collective desire for change within your Union has led to unprecedented levels of activism and involvement in worksites across the state. Over 100 new members have joined VSEA in the last 45 days alone. Enhanced communication to the membership; a highly successful legislative session, and a very talented and hard-working newly assembled staff have aided your desire for change.

I was hired by you, tasked by you, and supervised and supported by your President John Reese to move VSEA in a new direction to be a more effective Union. I feel confident that I have done the job you tasked me with as the Executive Director, and that the evidence of this is clear in your Union’s increased power.

I, along with many of your fellow members, see the decision to terminate my employment as an unnecessary and destructive diversion from the real work at hand; building a stronger member-run organization. I still have not been apprised of a reason for the decision of those Board members who voted to end my employment, nor have my employee evaluations indicated a performance deficiency.

Instead of this controversy being about me personally, it is really a continuation of a long running debate about the direction of your union. On one side of the issue are those who support the status quo and the service model, which is what VSEA has been since its inception. On the other side is a group who support member empowerment through organizing, educating and engaging the membership. The outcome of this debate will set the tone for your union’s work going forward and it will make a statement about your right as members to have a say in the direction of your union.

I have immensely enjoyed the privilege of working for Vermont’s state workers who provide exceptional service to their communities for low pay, modest benefits and under increasingly difficult working conditions. VSEA’s members deserve the right to have a say in decisions that affect their union. Ultimately, of course, this includes the decision about the direction of your union and what kind of Executive Director it should employ. Please remain involved and engaged to ensure that your voice is heard in the debates that are sure to come. A union is nothing without its members.

In solidarity,

Mark Erwin Mitchell
Barre, Vermont

Fitch places Vermont Student Assistance Corp - 1995 Bond Resolution on Rating Watch Evolving

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:10:28 +0000

Fitch Ratings has placed Vermont Student Assistance Corp. (VSAC) - 1995 Bond Resolution on Rating Watch Evolving, as a result of a the pending restructuring of the trust in conjunction with VSAC's 2013-1 Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) issuance.

VSAC anticipates completing a securitization on June 25, 2013 (VSAC 2013-1) of FFELP loans that are currently pledged to Straight-A, the VSAC 2008 trusts, and the VSAC 1995 trust.

At the closing of the VSAC 2013-1 transaction, approximately $58 million in FFELP student loans is expected to be removed from the VSAC 1995 trust, and the proceeds will be used to redeem some taxable and tax-exempt bonds from the same trust. Additionally, VSAC 2013-1 has an option to purchase an additional $10 million of FFELP student loans out of the 1995 trust within 30 days after the closing.

VSAC 1995 trust is currently backed by 76% FFELP and 24% private student loans as of March 31, 2013. After the restructuring, the trust will be backed by a higher proportion of private student loans. In addition, VSAC is planning to release excess cash out of the 1995 trust. Total parity as of the last distribution was 107.48%. Fitch expects to resolve the rating watch evolving when we are provided with the collateral composition and bond information post restructuring.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fitch Ratings 6.14.2013

Vermont Department of Labor initiates Rapid Response session this week after IBM layoffs

tim — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:53:25 +0000

The Vermont Department of Labor will be hosting the first of its Rapid Response sessions to assist the employees from IBM that have been separated and/or notified of their separation from their positions.

The Department of Labor staff members from the Unemployment Insurance division, Workforce Development division, Career Resource Centers, Reemployment Eligibility Program, Veterans Services, and the Labor Market Information Division will be presenting information about services available to support and assist the dislocated workers.

The sessions will be held on:

Wednesday, June 19th and Saturday, June 22nd

2 sessions each day -- the first starting at 9:00 AM and the second starting at 1:00 PM

The Sheraton Inn, Williston Road, Burlington, Vermont

The sessions will include presentations on job placement and training programs, unemployment insurance programs, how to research job information, and how to utilize the full range of Vermont Department of Labor programs. The Vermont Department of Labor staff will also be available to meet with workers on an individual basis to answer questions.

“We will be scheduling additional sessions in the following weeks, but set these initial sessions up to try to address the many questions that we are receiving from the affected workers at IBM. There will be opportunities for those employees to get help with their questions and start them on their reemployment track”, said Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan.

The Department will be publishing the agenda for the 2 days’ session on Monday.

If Progressives challenge Shumlin in 2014, it’s the governor’s own fault

tim — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:41:25 +0000

by Alicia Freese June 14, 2013 vtdigger.org The Vermont Progressive Party isn’t champing at the bit to make a run for the governor’s seat in 2014, but party leaders say their displeasure with Governor Peter Shumlin might leave them no choice.

“We’ve stayed out [of the past two elections] in sort of mild support of him,” said Rep. Chris Pearson, P-Burlington, who leads the Progressive caucus in the House. “I would say he is making it harder and harder for us to maintain that level of support.”

The last time the Vermont Progressive Party threw its weight behind its own candidate was in 2008, when Anthony Pollina, now a state senator, swept up more than 20 percent of the vote.

Shumlin’s pledges to set up a single-payer health care system and to shutter Vermont Yankee helped cement the party’s support for him in the past two elections.

Shumlin undercut that allegiance during the 2013 legislative session, Progressives say, and they are weighing a challenge in 2014.

The falling out

The disillusionment among Progressives is rooted in two issues: they are dismayed by Shumlin’s “aggressive stance” toward anti-poverty programs, and they’ve begun to doubt Shumlin’s commitment to single-payer health care.

Related stories

No recommendation to finance single payer.

GOP blasts administration on health care reform.

Shumlin proposed to cut nearly $17 million from the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which benefits low-income working Vermonters, and that riled a number of legislators.

“That was probably the most egregious example of things he’s done that we don’t agree with,” Pearson said.

The governor also spearheaded the push to put time limits on Reach Up, the state’s family welfare program, and he squashed a tax code proposal that would have shifted more of the burden to higher-income Vermonters. Both moves soured Progressives.

Proposed cuts to developmental disabilities programs and a “lack of commitment” to making substantial investments in thermal efficiency and weatherization also rankled Progressives, Pollina said.

“I think it’s no secret Progressives have been really disappointed in Shumlin and the attacks on the working poor that were so intrinsic in his budget proposal,” said Selene Colburn, a member of the Progressive state coordinating committee.

Sen. David Zuckerman, P/D-Chittenden, said Progressive lawmakers stayed mostly aligned with Democrats on social issues, but “when it came to economic issues and health care, it was a very frustrating session.”

Progressive Party Chairwoman Martha Abbott described misgivings among party members about Shumlin’s dedication to developing a single payer system.

“The finance plan was supposed to come out in January, and people are beginning to wonder about that,” Abbott said.

The Shumlin administration, Zuckerman said, appears to be “making negative strides” toward that goal. Pollina, Pearson and Colburn mentioned similar concerns.

Extent of the discontent

Progressive leaders and political experts say the discontent isn’t confined to their party — a number of left-leaning Democrats left the Statehouse disenchanted with the governor.

Pollina, P/D-Washington, who heads the Progressive caucus in the Senate, said, “I do think that some of the dissatisfaction or the disappointment is shared by a lot of Democrats who are progressive minded and believe in social justice. … I do think some of the discouragement is shared by a broader spectrum of people.”

Sen. Anthony Pollina. Photo by Josh Larkin/VTDigger

Pollina said he isn’t considering a run in 2014, but he’s not writing off another stab at the governorship down the road.

Retired Middlebury College political science professor Eric Davis offered a similar assessment.

“There is also discontent amongst small ‘p’ progressive Democrats,” he said. “I think the message that’s coming to Shumlin from both is ‘pay attention to the base, pay attention to the people who elected you.’ There is a growing amount of dissatisfaction on taxing and spending issues and concerns that Shumlin has been focused on standing up for the business community.”

Abbott said Shumlin’s approach toward low-income Vermonters was especially disheartening in light of the fact that he enjoys a solid Democratic majority in the Legislature. “If that’s the best you can do, why bother to have a Democratic majority? You might as well have a Republican majority.”

Logistics

Progressives still harbor concerns about pouring resources into a gubernatorial campaign that’s nearly guaranteed to fail. The party claims three senators and five representatives and some party members worry that backing a candidate for governor could stymie their influence in the Statehouse. One statewide official — auditor Doug Hoffer — ran as a D/P and his victory is viewed as a win for Progressives.

Rep. Chris Pearson. Photo by Josh Larkin/VTDigger

“It takes a lot of energy. We don’t have a national party sending us hundred of thousands of dollars … doing that [backing a gubernatorial candidate] undoubtedly detracts from our focus on legislative races,” Pearson said.

Abbott said the decision will depend, in part, on the depth of the applicant pool. “Wanting to put the candidate and having a candidate are two different things.”

“I would much rather see us gain seats in the Legislature rather than run a strong campaign for governor that doesn’t win,” Pearson said. “The challenge is that Shumlin has been disregarding our issues.”

Progressive prospects

The 20 percent-of-the-vote days are over for the Progressive Party, according to Eric Davis. Davis said he thinks a Progressive candidate could clinch between 3 percent and 7 percent of the vote — not enough to change the race’s outcome.

But there are enough people looking for an alternative on the ballot that Davis doesn’t think what he calls the “Martha Abbott 2012 strategy” (Abbott ran in the primary but withdrew her bid in support of Shumlin) will suffice for the Progressives in 2014.

Party officials say they are a long way from making a decision, but the discussions have started — Thursday, the party asked followers on Twitter to weigh in on whether they should field a candidate.

- See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/06/14/if-progessives-challenge-shumlin-in-2014-its-the-governors-own-fault/#sthash.YMyW4OjL.dpuf

Weekly unemployment claims increase after long decline

tim — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:24:26 +0000

New unemployment claims increased in Vermont last week, but remain well below the April spike. For the week of June 8, 2013, there were 646 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is an increase of 162 from the previous week's total, and 59 more than they were a year ago.

Altogether 6,065 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 118 from a week ago and 485 fewer than a year ago. The Department also processed 781 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 26 fewer than a week ago.

In addition, there were 28 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is 3 fewer than the week before. The Tier III program of extended benefits is being discontinued in Vermont as the state's unemployment rate has been under the federal threshold for more than three months.

The total for all programs was 6,883 claims, 144 fewer than last week and 1,743 fewer than the same time last year.

The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc

Vermont's unemployment rate fell one-tenths to 4.0 percent in April, the third lowest rate in the nation and lowest in New England. SEE STORY.

Vermont Business Roundtable, Economic & Policy Resources partner on new Business Conditions Survey

tim — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:08:29 +0000

Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable and Jeffrey Carr, President, Economic & Policy Resources, have announced the launch of their new joint effort, the VBR/EPR Business Conditions Survey. The announcement was made during the Summer Membership Meeting of the Roundtable, which was held at Basin Harbor Club. The Vermont Business Roundtable membership includes some of the key economic drivers of our region. The quarterly survey will initiate on July 1st, 2013.

The goal of this new and important collaboration is to increase the economic representativeness and relevance of Roundtable member survey results as an economic indicator for the Vermont economy, its future trends and opportunities. A secondary goal will be to systematically collect data to construct a 4-quarter moving diffusion index to smooth seasonal volatility and more easily glean underlying trends. Specifically, the survey will obtain results that provide a more timely and representative view of business conditions in Vermont; the near-term outlook for the Vermont economy; and gauge business intentions for capital investment, demand for goods and services, and hiring.

Mary Powell, CEO, Green Mountain Power and Chair of the Roundtable Board of Directors, was quoted as saying, “Since its inception the Vermont Business Roundtable has been a forward thinking organization committed to leveraging our members’ experiences to improve the standard of living for all Vermonters. This partnership will provide our business leaders and important partners ~ media, policymakers, citizens, and other businesses ~ with more timely, substantive, and relevant information about Vermont’s economic outlook. We are pleased to work with the team from Economic & Policy Resources.”

The Vermont Business Roundtable (VBR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of chief executive officers of Vermont's leading private and nonprofit employers, representing geographic diversity and all major sectors of the Vermont economy. Roundtable members employ more than 10 percent of the state’s workforce. The Roundtable is committed to sustaining a sound economy and preserving Vermont’s unique quality of life by studying and making recommendations on statewide public policy issues. www.vtroundtable.org.

Economic & Policy Resources, Inc. (EPR) is a multi-disciplinary applied economic consulting firm that has been providing private and public sector clients throughout the U.S. and Canada with problem-solving economic research and analysis services for more than 30 years. Our professionals bring a broad spectrum of problem-solving knowledge and experience to each assignment. The firm in Vermont is also known for its practice in forensic economics and its more than 20 years of service to the state of Vermont in economic and tax revenue forecasting. EPR has successfully completed assignments throughout the United States and in eastern Canada. www.epreconomics.com.

VBR/EPR 6.13.2013

VSEA board members ‘blindsided’ by union director’s firing

tim — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:24:13 +0000

by Alicia Freese June 13, 2013 vtdigger.org The Vermont State Employees Association board fired its executive director Wednesday, in a move that caught some members off-guard.

The board of trustees voted 10-5 to oust Mark Mitchell after an executive session that spanned the better part of the day.

Board President John Reese, who supports Mitchell, said he was “blindsided” by the action, and Sheila Coniff, a board member who also backs Mitchell, said it “came completely out of the blue.”

Former VSEA Executive Director Mark Mitchell

The VSEA represents more than 5,000 state employees, making it the state’s second largest union. Mitchell assumed his spot at the helm in December 2011.

Doug Gibson, the union’s spokesperson, said he could not comment on personnel issues, but he confirmed that Mitchell no longer had a job at the union as of close-of-business Wednesday.

A story by Paul Heintz of Seven Days in October cited frustration with Mitchell among several recently departed VSEA staff members, state officials and legislators.

Though taken aback by the board’s vote, Reese said he had been aware of discontent among the VSEA ranks. He described it as “a small faction of individuals that have been fighting tooth and nail against everything Mark and I have been doing for the organization.”

According to Reese — who said he couldn’t offer further detail — the board was presented with multiple allegations made against Mitchell by VSEA staff.

“Staff members approached the board with a series of allegations, some of them substantive, if proven true, but none of them criminal,” Reese said. “Mark hasn’t done anything egregious or malicious. A lot of the allegations were personal things. It was clear it was more of a personal attack rather than, ‘oh, gee, we’ve got to save our organization from doom.’”

Three board members said they couldn’t speak about the allegations because they were revealed during an executive session; the remainder could not be reached for comment.

Former VSEA President Bob Hooper, who currently serves on the executive committee of the retirees chapter, said concerns with Mitchell have been percolating for a while. “It’s something you had to see coming,” Hooper said,

Vermont woman’s case sets precedent in equal pay law

tim — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:20:30 +0000

by Hilary Niles June 13, 2013 vtdigger.org Hiring decisions need not be intentionally discriminatory in order to be punishable, a federal judge ruled in a landmark Vermont case Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III also concluded that men’s negotiating prowess is no excuse for paying them more than women for similar work.

The case of Wendie Dreves v. Hudson Group Retail, LLC, began in 2011 when Dreves accused her former employer of unfairly paying her less than it ultimately paid her male replacement. It was the first test for Vermont’s Equal Pay Act, which was passed in 2002 but had never before been considered comprehensively by the courts.

Related story
Equal Pay Act gets first test in court.

Sessions granted summary judgment for Dreves’ claim of unequal pay. The money she’s entitled to receive will be decided either through settlement between Dreves and the airport retail chain or through a jury trial. Additional claims of age and gender discrimination, as well as breach of contract, were dismissed by Sessions. Dreves was awarded some compensation for unpaid wages.

But the case likely has much wider implications beyond Dreves and Hudson News.

If an employer is not going to pay a man and a woman the same wages for the same job, that decision must be justified with “bona fide business reasons,” said Cary Brown, executive director of the Vermont Commission on Women.

In his ruling, Sessions pointed out that state and federal law are generous to employers in allowing discretion for pay and hiring decisions. In addition to seniority, merit or the quality or quantity of an employee’s work, bosses can explain pay gaps between men and women by “any factor other than sex.”

“This final defense is a broad one,” he wrote, “but it is not a license to assert any factor under the sun.”

His decision comes 50 years after President John F. Kennedy signed into law the federal Equal Pay Act, of which Vermont’s statute is a stronger version.

The Dreves case

Dreves’ attorney, Burlington-based John Franco, said the case was a “real education … in the frustration that can befall women” who fight for equal pay.

Plaintiff’s attorney John Franco said Wendie Dreves should receive more than $180,000 in back pay, after a Burlington court hearing on March 19, 2013. Photo by Nat Rudarakanchana

“Patriarchy is not only modeled in our society, it’s homogenized,” Franco said. “It’s so prevalent we don’t even see it. It really takes a case like this to draw it out.”

Hudson News attorney Joseph Kernan, a Philadelphia-based partner with the global law firm DLA Piper, declined to comment on the case.

Vermont Law School professor Cheryl Hanna, who watched the lawsuit closely and filed an amicus brief for Dreves in conjunction with the Commission on Women, said the ruling did not find the company intended to discriminate.

“But their decision resulted in a bad outcome,” Hanna said.

Dreves, of Grand Isle, worked for Hudson News as general manager of its retail operation at Burlington International Airport from Sept. 22, 2003, until her termination on Sept. 8, 2010. During that time, management granted Dreves several raises; her base salary climbed from $34,365 to $48,230. She had 16 years of retail management experience before joining Hudson.

Despite the raises and some favorable reviews, Dreves was fired in 2010, at age 58, following two company investigations and complaints by employees who charged that some of her behavior was abusive and inappropriate.

She left without pay for three days of work and two weeks of unused vacation time. She initially charged that she had been wrongfully terminated, but later withdrew that claim.

Meanwhile, Jarrod Dixon, an employee at Hudson’s Manchester, N.H., operation, was being recruited as Dreves’ replacement, court records say. At 42, Dixon had served in lesser management roles for Hudson since joining the company in 2004.

Dixon’s salary of $36,575 would have received a considerable bump had he accepted Hudson’s first offer of $50,000 to transfer to Burlington, according to court records. Dixon held out for more money to justify moving his family to another state. He wanted $55,000, and the parties eventually met halfway at $52,500.

Hudson had no “generally applicable policy or practice of equalizing the after-tax income of its employees to account for variations in state income rates,” according to the court ruling. The calculations managers used to determine Dixon’s anticipated Vermont taxes were faulty, Sessions wrote, and no record of the method used to determine a cost of living differential could be produced.

Furthermore, the judge found, offering a salary premium to Dixon to compensate him for moving his family was not a valid business-related expense — especially because Hudson provided a $5,000 moving stipend.

There is “simply no basis for the proposition that a male competitor’s ability to negotiate a higher salary is a legitimate business-related justification to pay a woman less,” Session concluded. “To hold otherwise would eviscerate the federal and Vermont equal pay provisions.”

Dreves must now decide whether to settle out-of-court for damages, which Franco said will include attorney fees at least in the high five-figures. Barring settlement, the plaintiff can pursue a jury trial.

Hudson News also has the option to appeal, although Hanna sees dim prospects for that, given favorable precedents for plaintiffs in similar cases heard by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

State and federal law

Brown, of the Commission on Women, said there is great reassurance in Sessions’ ruling because it affirms the recently passed H.99, a law strengthening the state’s equal pay provisions, some of which takes effect July 1.

“Judge Sessions interpreted the current law in the way that new law makes clear,” she said. “So it won’t need to be interpreted in the courts again.”

Still more resonance from the Dreves case stems from its consideration by a federal district court. Because Hudson News is owned by the Swiss multinational company Dufry AG, rather than a Vermont-based business, the case was heard by a federal court that applied state law.

Vermont Law School professor Cheryl Hanna discusses the importance of the court case, the first filed under the state’s Equal Pay Act, in front a Burlington courthouse on March 19, 2013. Photo by Nat Rudarakanchana

Although only legally binding within Vermont, Hanna said, the Dreves decision “does have broader persuasive value in the federal court system.”

A federal Paycheck Fairness Act that would accomplish many of the same objectives has been faltering in Congress for years, Brown said. “If they passed that, the entire country would have this same clarification,” she said.

For employees and employers

Brown encouraged employees who feel they may be the victims of gender-based pay discrimination to pursue their options with several state resources: the Attorney General’s Office , the Vermont Commission on Women and (for state employees) the Human Rights Commission.

Both men and women can be the subject of pay discrimination, and Hanna pointed out that the law as written and interpreted applies to both.

Hanna also encouraged employers to conduct “pay audits” to ensure compliance with state and federal wage laws.