Friday, March 29, 2019
It calls for a working group to advise the Vermont Agency of Education on adopting statewide standards for ethnic and social equity education, and to require the state Board of Education to publish information on hazing, harassment and bullying incidents "disaggregated by student groups, including ethnic and racial groups, poverty status, disability status, English language learner status, and gender," according to the text of the law.
The signing ceremony took place before a large, enthusiastic and diverse crowd of supporters.
In a brief speech, Scott talked of the "educational benefits for kids" and the ultimate goal of creating "a more tolerant society."
Tags: Phil Scott , Kevin "Coach" Christie , Amanda Garces , governor , Vermont , Web Only , Image
In response to a complaint filed Tuesday by Burlington resident Wayne Senville, councilors voted 10-1 that they did not violate the state's open meeting law. Councilor Max Tracy (P-Ward 2) cast the sole opposing vote, while Councilor Brian Pine (P-Ward 3) did not attend.
On Monday, the council voted to approve the funding for the $5.8 million project, the final step in moving forward with the downtown park renovation — or so they thought. Senville sent a complaint to the City Attorney's Office the next day, saying that the city had filed supplementary meeting documents too late to allow citizens to comment on them.
"It was clearly insufficient to provide even a cursory review of these documents," Senville told the council at Friday's meeting, which had been called to address his complaint. "Members of the public were unable to comment in a meaningful way."
Tags: Wayne Senville , Keep the Park Green , Miro Weinberger , Joan Shannon , Jane Knodell , Dave Hartnett , Web Only , Image
Chittenden Superior Court Judge Kevin Griffin this week threw out a hate crime charge against Christopher Hayden, writing that harassing a public official is protected by the First Amendment.
Griffin dismissed a count of disturbing the peace by phone that stemmed from numerous racist messages Hayden sent to City Councilor Ali Dieng's government email address.
The state has filed seven charges against Hayden since October, including hate crimes for his targeting of Dieng, Mayor Miro Weinberger and Police Chief Brandon del Pozo.
Tags: Christopher Hayden , First Amendment , protected speech , racism , Ali Dieng , Miro Weinberger , Web Only , Image
The 27-3 vote followed a short debate that largely focused on a 10-cent fee on single-use paper bags included in the bill. Some senators voiced concern that the fee would be a hardship for low-income Vermonters.
Mostly, though, senators spoke in support of the bill, S.113, which would also establish a study committee to examine the effects of plastic on Vermont’s waste stream and other policies that might help reduce plastic waste.
Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison), the bill’s lead sponsor, said Vermont needs to address plastic waste “without being the street sweeper following the parade — always cleaning up.”
Tags: plastic , plastic bags , plastic straws , foam , expanded polystyrene , Chris Bray , Phil Baruth , Becca Balint , Corey Parent , James McNeil , Brian Collamore , Web Only , Image
Thursday, March 28, 2019
The bill, S.163, includes the creation of a statewide database of all rental units, state funding for a new Department of Health staffer to oversee rental housing conditions and a requirement that residential building contractors register with the state in order to reduce home improvement fraud. Clarkson described it as a consumer protection bill.
Sen. Jeanette White (D-Windham) objected to some of the policies. She said a statewide list of rental units would include an apartment in her home that she rents out.
“I do not want my apartment listed,” White said during a debate on the Senate floor. “My apartment is in my house, and I choose who I rent it to.”
Tags: ethics , conflict of interest , Senate , Joe Benning , Brian Campion , Cheryl Hooker , Jane Kitchel , Dick Mazza , Alice Nitka , Chris Pearson , Richard Westman , Jeanette White , John Rodgers , Alison Clarkson , rental property , landlord , property ownership , tenants , building contractor , Web Only , Image
Wayne Senville, who has publicly voiced opposition to the park project, filed a complaint with the city attorney's office on Tuesday, saying that documents related to the project weren't available in time for members of the public to read and respond to them.
Under state law, the city has 10 days to respond to the complaint, according to City Council President Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4), so the council will hold a special meeting on Friday at 1 p.m. to vote on whether a violation occurred.
If councilors decide they did violate the law, they'd have to revote on appropriating money for the City Hall Park project. If the council rejects the complaint by voting that it followed proper procedure, Senville can file a suit in court.
City attorneys are sure that the city did not violate open meeting law and Monday's decision should stand, according to Wright. “We believe, according to our legal advice, we’re on very, very solid ground," he said. "We feel pretty strongly this is a frivolous complaint."
Tags: City Hall Park , Wayne Senville , Kurt Wright , Miro Weinberger , Web Only , Image
The Seattle-based outdoor gear retailer will take over a 31,100-square-foot space at 244 Retail Way that has been vacant since Toys "R" Us went out of business last year. The store will be next door to a Marshalls, near the intersection of Route 2A and Marshall Avenue.
Planning documents filed with the Town of Williston describe approximately $2 million in work planned for the building, including an update to the façade.
The Williston Observer first reported the news.
The town's Historic and Architectural Advisory Committee reviewed the plans at its March 19 meeting, and Matt Boulanger, director of planning and zoning, approved them on Monday. Boulanger said company officials gave no indication when they expect to open, but he said retailers that start the fit-up process this time of year generally hope to accommodate shoppers by the holiday season.
"Based on what I see in the permit application and the changes they're proposing, it'll take some work out on the exterior," Boulanger said. "But it's the proverbial big box, so those are pretty easy to configure."
An REI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chittenden County is home to several outdoor gear stores, including many in downtown Burlington. An Eastern Mountain Sports store in South Burlington closed in 2017 after the company declared bankruptcy.
Retail centers in other parts of the country have been hit hard by online shopping and other market changes, but Boulanger said that Williston has been relatively lucky in that regard.
"At least for now, we’re not having that problem where stuff sits empty for years and years,” Boulanger said, “and that’s a good thing.”
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero) learned an important lesson Wednesday when she picked up her gavel and smashed the glass top of an antique lamp that’s been in the Statehouse for more than a century.
She'd been aiming for a small piece of wood that serves as the target for the gavel (and protects the podium underneath).
“Note to self: Do not put the gavel square too close to the lamp,” Johnson said, after cleaning up shards of glass from around the speaker’s podium.
Johnson, the former chair of the House Appropriations Committee, quipped that she might have to propose an amendment to this year's capital bill, which pays for the maintenance of state government properties.
Johnson was using the gavel to open proceedings in the House chamber just before a vote on controversial weatherization legislation, which would double the tax for home heating fuels. Her right-handed swing brought the head of the gavel into contact with one of two lamps that stand on either side of the podium at the front of the House chamber.
Tags: Montpeculiar , Mitzi Johnson , gavel , lamp , David Schütz , statehouse , Web Only , Image , Video
During a joint assembly of the state House and Senate, legislators voted 129 to 36 to keep Hoar on the bench. Each of the other judges up for a vote Wednesday were approved by even larger margins. Five were approved unanimously.
At a late February meeting of the legislature's Joint Committee on Judicial Retention, two female attorneys testified that Hoar had treated them in a sexist and condescending way, as VTDigger.org and the Burlington Free Press reported at the time. The lawyers, a deputy state's attorney and a former law clerk of Hoar's, said the judge had acted aggressively and dismissively toward women in the courtroom.
Tags: judge , judicial retention , Samuel Hoar , William Cohen , Robert Gerety , Kevin Griffin , Elizabeth Mann , Megan Shafritz , Timothy Tomasi , Thomas Zonay , Alice Nitka , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Vermont AG T.J. Donovan filed suit in state court Tuesday against Cardinal Health and McKesson, two of the largest drug distributors who profited off the nationwide opioid epidemic.
Tags: opioids , Vermont attorney general , McKesson , Cardinal Health , T.J. Donovan , Purdue Pharma , opioid distribution , Web Only , Image