Burlington Settles Lawsuit With CityPlace Developers

By Courtney Lamdin Posted on February 5, 2021 at 4:05PM

The developers must also pay the city $150,000 in property taxes for each year lost to construction delays. The city expects to net up to $450,000, depending on when construction begins, Weinberger said. It wasn't immediately clear on Friday afternoon when the developers planned to break ground.

Vermont Senate Blocks Governor's Act 250 Reform Order

By Kevin McCallum Posted on February 4, 2021 at 2:42PM

Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison), chair of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee, said that unlike a bill, the executive order did not allow for legislative tweaks. “For us it is quite simply a take-it-or-leave-it proposal,” Bray said.

State Contractor Fires Employee Who Uttered Racial Slur in Legislative Meeting

By Colin Flanders Posted on February 4, 2021 at 2:20PM

"My understanding is that all committee members and staff were away from their computers at the time and that no one became aware of the issue until much later," Balint wrote. Gayle told VTDigger.org — which first reported the incident and has posted relevant portions of the video — that his comments were the result of "an outburst while reading a news report, of course not realizing Zoom was on."

Vermont Nets $1.5 Million in Opioid Settlement With McKinsey

By Derek Brouwer Posted on February 4, 2021 at 1:51PM

Vermont Sues OneCare to Obtain Payroll Records for Auditor

By Colin Flanders Posted on February 3, 2021 at 2:53PM

, and, sadly, the Auditor’s decision to file a lawsuit creates a significant obstacle to that partnership." In Hoffer's eyes, however, it is precisely OneCare's lack of collaboration that has brought the state to this point.

Burlington CEDO Director McGowan to Join Biden Administration

By Courtney Lamdin Posted on February 3, 2021 at 1:23PM

McGowan has run the city department in charge of everything from restorative justice programs to large economic development projects. Weinberger credited McGowan for breaking ground on the Moran FRAME project, securing federal grants to abate lead paint and, most recently, launching the city's COVID-19 Resource and Recovery Center, which has connected residents with food assistance and myriad other services during the pandemic.

Vermont Law School Receives $3 Million Grant for Restorative Justice Program

By Chelsea Edgar Posted on February 2, 2021 at 6:29PM

As Vermont Law School grapples with lagging enrollment and financial woes exacerbated by the pandemic, the grants represent a significant investment. “There's definitely a social justice mission that is part of Vermont Law School, and this is really giving focus to that and building it out,” said Stephanie Clark, director of the center.

Bill Would Bar Black Lives Matter and Other Flags From Flying at Schools

By Colin Flanders Posted on February 2, 2021 at 11:01AM

Smith said he came up with the idea because school boards "spend hours upon hours" debating whether to fly the BLM flag. Montpelier High School became the first in the nation to raise it after a student-led effort in 2018. Students at a number of other Vermont schools have since followed suit, including some spurred on by last summer's national reckoning on race and policing.

Exiled Files: A Vermonter's Car Has Been Stuck in Montréal Since March

By Sasha Goldstein Posted on February 2, 2021 at 10:38AM

Though they had planned to stay in France for two weeks, a few days later Capitaine booked a flight back to Montréal. But when they arrived at the airport, Air Canada officials told him he would not be able to board the plane, because American citizens had just been barred from entering Canada. He and his son flew to Boston, rented a vehicle and drove back to Williston.

Abenaki Vermont Veteran Featured During Biden's Inauguration

By Sasha Goldstein Posted on February 1, 2021 at 9:53PM