[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6248208,"mediaKeyId","3211907-9edcc17ba4127ca80c2fbc5145b72334","parentId",3211907,"title","Burlington-area businesses, chambers press state task force to study convention‑center feasibility","audioSeconds",1768,"startMs",2852000,"endMs",4620000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3211907-9edcc17ba4127ca80c2fbc5145b72334&start=2852&end=4620","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3211907-9edcc17ba4127ca80c2fbc5145b72334/thumbnail_2852000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6248208/Vermont/Burlington-area-businesses-chambers-press-state-task-force-to-study-conventioncenter-feasibility","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6248208-222390bd871698ae1d283eb1dec18618/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145738&Signature=QTPYITw-c3fKWHN7fvpFLIQ3ZQ374Jc0vXetcttQp3Shqcq~Un96LOnVWuL6Oea~wL8Y6Nz5UuhUQ5AW6AuY24ooNxPIEzSyx-eytWlEH1eRvx0qqIw4wroZ88g4qL1LQTeO1G8MHTMsM4Y6IzpM859cyy~rPQGd948zhvvHqkhw3OniUEbnfbCg5iJAKm7rDoKXZhsAXfxLwauOOh53wcOJitok4mAmO7ng5IvYOzEkp10M9-ZSp98cY3rH4EoG1I2iYA8-g6WoYWSxysNuG2p5VFqQfwF0ZFBcHj4TMv3t2xTjE3oGsdmuHqrmaDnBplFe7p-irhGmGbAZnPTGqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-08T02:33:17Z","article","Business and tourism leaders told the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee May 7 that Vermont should study whether a convention center or performance facility could expand midweek demand, support anchor industries and keep larger meetings in-state.

\"The data were $4,000,000,000 industry, employing about 30,000 people in the state of Vermont,\" Hans Van Ruiz, managing director of Westport Hospitality, said, describing tourism's scale in Vermont and arguing that a well-sited convention center could capture meetings currently going to other New England states.

Witnesses said feasibility work should consider hotel-room inventory, airport access, walkability, parking and spillover benefits for smaller hospitality properties. Jeff Lawson of Hello Burlington and the Lake Champlain Chamber said Burlington's downtown room inventory is expected to approach 1,000 hotel rooms within a few years, which is a key threshold for sustaining a modern meeting facility. Lawson also said the region needs state involvement because counties elsewhere (the typical governance unit for destination marketing and facilities) carry responsibilities that Vermont municipalities cannot manage alone.

Several witnesses cited captive-insurance meetings as an example of a business that already strains existing venue capacity. \"We want to keep the Vermont Captive Insurance Association meeting in Vermont,\" Hans Van Ruiz said, adding that some organizations are \"growing out\" of current facilities.

Lake Champlain Chamber leaders said they will commission a feasibility study that could take about 16 weeks from contract signing, and they expect to align that work with the task force report deadline in S.122 (an interim report the bill specified for Nov. 1). Chamber members said a consultant-led study should examine demand generators, competitive destinations, transportation, and the region's capacity to host larger events without overbuilding.

Witnesses emphasized the potential economic benefits beyond large conferences: midweek room-night gains, higher rates during peak events, and spillover business for smaller hotels, restaurants and retailers. They suggested the task force include economic-development and infrastructure expertise, and not reduce the discussion to tourism marketing alone.

The committee accepted testimony and said it will review feasibility work and task-force outputs as they become available.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Commerce - 2025-05-07 - 9:00AM","oneSentenceSummary","Local hoteliers, industry groups and chambers told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on May 7 that a state-led study should examine whether a convention center or performance facility could capture more midweek business and retain large meetings now going out of state.","taxTitle","Commerce & Economic Development, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",36720,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6248219,"Lawmakers hear plea to boost SBDC base funding to secure federal match",1325,65000,1390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3211907-9edcc17ba4127ca80c2fbc5145b72334&start=65&end=1390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3211907-9edcc17ba4127ca80c2fbc5145b72334/thumbnail_65000.jpg","/articles/6248219/Vermont/Lawmakers-hear-plea-to-boost-SBDC-base-funding-to-secure-federal-match","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6248219-a1387dd4ad74c18bc01f55d049d9436d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145738&Signature=Ru7NvN6~WAVZwbjBrP2YOxAkdVpbcmjHg-j7SF69or22jlqu52nw-vzvIwiSPvwcJkZrFiGMwhkpdrNr~84pnqjwe0CJ8FfTqv~LrtZV-81xUAoQopPPhJfusXdSgEaoPXrwgOfVEvGNdIB9prU8YsOXOqrW5VB4YVJb2MWlyLbg65wtEHpnRl~FgtUTcguoUNvMnxM2mwUqwpBh9qP9fTg2jQn-vVF1CX4iLW0su8s2IS9V671v8FW1S1aGzkgEPSaETbjHvg5g8u5Sh~FU5fHZRdwcPCOAkywgJ9XVDuPfgir3MXlJ8nAVhn-L6MoLGzi-R0OuqVNUDQKDzVvrLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development heard testimony May 7 urging lawmakers to prioritize base funding for the Vermont Small Business Development Center so the SBDC can meet a federally required 1-to-1 nonfederal match and accept full federal grant funds.

The request centers on a $300,000 increase proposed in S.122. \"The increase in S.122 of $300,000 for the Vermont SBDC will allow us to accept the full federal funds. It'll allow us to avoid cutting staff, and it'll allow us to serve our small businesses so they have the greatest chance of survival at this crucial time,\" Linda Rossi, state director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center, told the committee.

Why it matters: Rossi said the SBDC is required by federal SBDC program rules to demonstrate a 1-to-1 nonfederal match, at least half of which must be cash. The SBDC's host, the Vermont State College System/Vermont State University, has historically waived a portion of the indirect-cost match; Rossi testified she expects the host will no longer waive roughly $150,000 of that amount, and that the indirect calculation for 2025 is \"roughly $400,000.\" She said the loss of that waived match would prevent the SBDC from drawing down the full federal allocation and could force staff reductions.

Supporters at the hearing recommended sequencing priorities within Section 2 of S.122. Ellen Kaler of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund said the committee could, if funding is constrained, give top priority to Section 2(c) — the additional SBDC funding — and next priority to expanded legal services at Vermont Law and Graduate School. Kaler also noted that the House had restored $50,000 for the Vermont Professionals of Color Network to $250,000 in the budget; she said Section 2(b) had proposed an additional $100,000 for that network.

Rossi described the SBDC funding model as a partnership among three stakeholders — federal, state and higher education — and said the organization cannot charge clients for its one-on-one advising. She said an ongoing base increase is needed rather than one-time money because the SBDC must present an annual signed match to obtain each year's federal allocation. Rossi told legislators an increase of $300,000 in state cash would allow the SBDC to serve about 200 more Vermont small-business owners in one-on-one advising.

Committee members asked how the base increase, versus one-time funds, affects the federal drawdown. Rossi explained that the federal award requires the nonfederal match to be in place and documented annually; a one-time appropriation previously led to hiring an adviser and later letting that adviser go when the one-time money ended.

The committee said it will continue discussions with appropriations conferees now that members have more detailed information on the program's funding needs.

","Members of the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development heard testimony May 7 urging a $300,000 base increase for the Vermont Small Business Development Center so the SBDC can meet a federally required 1-to-1 nonfederal match and accept full federal grant funds.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6248213,"Treasurer's office asks committee to create special fund and pilot language for baby bonds study",1375,1453000,2828000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3211907-9edcc17ba4127ca80c2fbc5145b72334&start=1453&end=2828","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3211907-9edcc17ba4127ca80c2fbc5145b72334/thumbnail_1453000.jpg","/articles/6248213/Vermont/Treasurers-office-asks-committee-to-create-special-fund-and-pilot-language-for-baby-bonds-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6248213-170586ce7e71af23adc29972f738e8fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145738&Signature=RFB~m4wbmWha2eJzln2RXViPGWLZzmS8P2gU8woEAmNFOmAsT8XsGGY-fTmk3PTAV5XO5slnS0muZiAmK-s1ShjXNrrk-ajjBhXEkeq1YjFUxzcKw5Udp9r5SSRAJbyaMgghFxQXmFpN5x1oyRzK53kVWD6OMRUC8n~20CHpf3YE-3bIr-Q-xUcwu2Iyvw7~FwJdDlS5RfTDUOL4tlDxKZgNcXim20TcykDDNMMXpp8IbS3wv50i4KaSTF-7V6Zveohu7Ia3QJ3QmfliRBWOe0nW9DcpxHvkx6TtsZbLCtpCp6yYYlmt6tneT7fGJAFTw6RVd6~q8lynDmFWxHYL-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Vermont treasurer's office asked the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee May 7 to add statutory language to S.122 that would create a short-term special fund and clarify parameters for a baby bonds pilot the office is designing.

\"Our proposal is that we invest $3,200 for every baby in Vermont born on Medicaid,\" Ashlyn Doyle, director of policy in the treasurer's office, told the committee. She said the office estimates the account balance could grow to about $20,000 by age 18 under expected rates of return for the long-term program. The office also estimates a permanent, statewide baby bonds program would cost about $6,000,000 per year to sustain.

Doyle said the language change aims to separate pilot accounting from the trust account that a full program would use. \"The trust account, when we one day hope to set up the statewide fully fledged baby bonds program, will be invested in a long-term way,\" she said. For the shorter, three-to-five-year pilot the treasurer envisions, philanthropic donations would likely fund cohort benefits and the pilot's short-term investments; the special fund would allow the treasury to accept and account for those donations without commingling them with the long-term trust.

The treasurer's office described several elements the added language would enumerate: creating partnerships with community organizations to provide wraparound services; identifying research and evaluation partners; outreach to potential participants; and reporting deadlines so the office can return to the committee with pilot results. Doyle said the office is considering a pilot cohort of older teens in the Northeast Kingdom who would be nearing high school graduation so outcomes can be studied within a three-to-five-year window; she said there is no firm cohort size and that the pilot's scale will depend on philanthropic fundraising.

Committee members asked operational questions — for example, whether participation would be automatic or require acceptance by a guardian or the participant. \"Under the fully fledged program, they would be automatically enrolled,\" Doyle said; she added that administration details for the pilot (including enrollment and consent) are to be decided and will likely follow best practices used by other baby-bond pilots.

Doyle said the requested statutory language does not itself deposit funds into the special fund; rather it creates the accounting mechanism and pilot governance so philanthropic donors can contribute and the treasury can make expenditures in a way that meets government accounting standards. The treasurer's office signaled it may seek modest administrative support for the pilot (staff time and reporting), and indicated it had informed appropriations conferees about the need for administrative funding.

","The treasurer's office asked the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee on May 7 to add language to S.122 establishing a special short-term fund and clearer pilot design for a baby bonds pilot funded by philanthropic donations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Burlington-area businesses, chambers press state task force to study convention‑center feasibility

Lawmakers hear plea to boost SBDC base funding to secure federal match

Treasurer's office asks committee to create special fund and pilot language for baby bonds study