Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Mayor Miro Weinberger announced the deal at a press conference in his office on Wednesday afternoon, calling it "progress far better than was thought possible seven years ago." Schurz representatives did not appear at the press conference, though the company did have officials in Burlington on Wednesday, according to the mayor.
Tags: Burlington Telecom , Schurz Communications , Miro Weinberger , Web Only , Image
Friday, March 8, 2019
The “digital strategist” position is being eliminated in favor of a “performance management model of client services,” Cox spokesperson Lisa Aloisio told Seven Days.
The company is eliminating 112 digital strategists across five locations. Half of those positions are in Vermont, Aloisio said, but affected employees will have “a really good amount of time to apply” for the new jobs.
Tags: Dealer.com , digital strategist , Cox Automotive , Dealertrack , Burlington , jobs , labor , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
The news drew cheers at the Progressive Party's gathering at Rí Rá on Church Street.
"It's a new time in Burlington, folks!" Vermont Progressive Party executive director Josh Wronski told the crowd.
After serving a total of 19 years on the council as a Progressive, Knodell lost the party's nomination at its caucus in January. She later decided to run as an independent, but couldn't overcome Freeman's impressive get-out-the-vote effort. Freeman earned 928 votes, about 54 percent of the total, compared to 643 votes, or 37 percent, for Knodell. Democrat Jared Carter earned 144 votes, or 8 percent of the total.
Tags: Miro Weinberger , Jane Knodell , Perri Freeman , Jared Carter , Mohamed Jafar , Joan Shannon , Paco DeFrancis , Richard Deane , Jack Hanson , Kienan Christianson , Franklin Paulino , Image , Web Only
Friday, March 1, 2019
Bundy Redic, an independent, announced the decision Friday to a single reporter during a press conference at Burlington City Hall. Town Meeting Day is on Tuesday.
"Here is the truth: I am not going to win," she said.
Paulino, she went on, is the next best candidate for the job. "Franklin and I have the same goals: Create a Burlington where people can thrive and not just survive," Bundy Redic said. "We disagree on how to get there, but I believe Franklin is a good man who cares about his community."
Paulino will compete for the council seat against Kienan Christianson, an independent who has received the Progressive endorsement. They're vying to replace Democrat Dave Hartnett, who decided in January to not seek reelection.
Bundy Redic's name will remain on the ballot; she said she'd personally reach out to her supporters and would ask them to vote for Paulino instead.
Tags: Ericka Bundy Redic , Franklin Paulino , Kienan Christianson , Dave Hartnett , Kurt Wright , Miro Weinberger , Burlington City Council , Town Meeting Day , Image , Web Only
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Not so fast.
A group of six Queen City residents is appealing to the Supreme Court last week's Public Utility Commission decision to green light the sale of Burlington Telecom. The group members claim that the City of Burlington still owes its taxpayers $16.9 million "that was improperly invested in BT." The sale to Schurz Communications doesn't recoup all that money, the group contends.
In its 51-page decision, the PUC ruled that, while the group's claim had merit, the commission did not have the authority to force the city to pay up.
Tags: Burlington Telecom , Solveig Overby , Jim Dumont , Image , Web Only
Monday, February 25, 2019
The group, Partnership for Burlington's Future, spent nearly $3,000 on mailers and online advertising to encourage voters to approve initiatives to expand the downtown improvement district, approve the budget, agree to permit reform, and eliminate the business personal property tax. That's according to campaign finance reports that were due on Saturday, the last deadline before the March 5 vote.
Two real estate developers, Dave Farrington and Ernie Pomerleau, each contributed $1,000 to the effort. Branding and marketing company Select Design gave $1,500.
Another PAC, Neighbors 4 a Better BTV, is also advocating for a 'yes' vote. Their efforts were not as well financed; the group spent $260.
Tags: Miro Weinberger , Joan Shannon , Mohamed Jafar , Jane Knodell , Richard Deane , Paco DeFrancis , Perri Freeman , Jared Carter , Kienan Christianson , Franklin Paulino , Jack Hanson , Town Meeting Day , Burlington City Council , Image , Web Only
Friday, February 22, 2019
The announcement Friday was not a surprise. The senior administrator and mechanical engineering professor at Indiana's Purdue University had been the sole finalist for the job to succeed current president Thomas Sullivan, who will step down in July.
Garimella's contract is effective July 1. He'll earn a base salary of $480,000 and an additional $50,000 annually in deferred compensation for each year he stays on the job.
On top of those payments, Garimella will receive a $100,000 annual payment toward a retirement fund, according to his new contract.
Tags: University of Vermont , Suresh Garimella , UVM , president , Thomas Sullivan , STEM , Sarah Alexander , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
On Tuesday night, the Burlington City Council gave its blessing to a plan to redesign the Moran building, the most significant progress toward remodeling the old coal-fired power plant since it was decommissioned in 1986.
The unanimous vote gave Mayor Miro Weinberger's administration permission to move forward with the project and to borrow the cash to fund it. The plan, which the city's Community Economic Development Office presented in December, proposes filling in the basement of the old structure and removing the brick exterior.
It would leave in place a steel skeleton. The open-air space would include public restrooms and space for vendors and concerts. Additional walkways, public art, a performance venue, a viewing deck or outdoor areas could also be added to the project in the future, pending additional funding.
Tags: Burlington City Council , Miro Weinberger , mayor , Moran plant , Image , Web Only
The Vermont Public Utility Commission issued its decision on Tuesday afternoon, granting a certificate of public good to the Indiana-based telecommunications company, which operates locally under the business name Champlain Broadband.
Schurz "has the technical expertise, financial resources, and management experience to assume ownership of the Burlington Telecom assets and to operate the telecommunications and cable television systems," the commission wrote in its 51-page decision.
Representatives from Schurz did not immediately return requests for comment.
Tags: Miro Weinberger , Schurz Communications , Burlington Telecom , Image , Web Only
Thursday, February 14, 2019
More than 100 students and faculty rallied to protest what they said was an undemocratic presidential search process.
They also railed against staff and faculty cuts in the humanities in response to declining enrollment and accused administrators of having an "edifice" complex that puts expensive buildings ahead of investments in teaching and learning.
Bloated administrative salaries and a "widget" mentality that looks at students as "data points" also came under fire at the rally, where protestors bemoaned a budget model they said is leading to the death of intellectualism at the school.
Tags: Suresh Garimella , University of Vermont , president , search , Tom Sullivan , humanities , budget , Image , Web Only