Governor, cabinet officials resume ‘Capital for a Day’ tours, starting in Waterbury
August 11, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti, Sandy Yusen & Cheryl CaseyGov. Phil Scott and top members of his administration revived their pre-pandemic “Capital for a Day” tours this week with visits across Washington County that included several stops in Waterbury.
Nate Dunbar, owner of Vermont Beer Collective (center in bright blue), poses a question during a meeting with Gov. Phil Scott (right) and administration officials in Waterbury last week. Local food and beverage business managers and owners took part in a discussion at Hen of the Wood. Waterbury State Reps. Theresa Wood (bottom) and Tom Stevens (left) attended as well. Photo by Gordon Miller
The governor and members of his administration including Liquor and Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight began their day at Hen of the Wood in downtown Waterbury with local restaurant managers and retailers. They discussed issues and initiatives including a new state portal coming in January to manage orders of spirits in state-regulated stores.
The morning meeting drew about a dozen representatives of Waterbury restaurants, stores and breweries. Throughout the day, other local stops on the tour included Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington visiting KORE Power’s battery power-storage manufacturing facility at Pilgrim Park, a tour of Crossett Brook Middle School by Education Secretary Zoie Saunders, and a group discussion about outdoor recreation at Dac Rowe Park led by state Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Danny Fitzko.
Gov. Phil Scott listens during a meeting in Waterbury on Aug. 7. Photo by Gordon Miller
Gov. Scott began doing Capital for a Day tours in 2018, logging cabinet visits to all of the state’s 14 counties in 10 months. The goal was for the top state officials to spend time in person with constituents, municipal government leaders, local business and community organization leaders, etc. After a break for several years prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor, cabinet members and staff went on the road this week.
Scott said he likes that his cabinet meets weekly, but he also thinks state officials need to spend time out of their offices and the capital. “There’s nothing like getting out and seeing people and hearing from them,” he said. “We’re trying to get back at it now. We want to hear what’s going on in our communities, what we can do better.”
Wednesday’s schedule had 23 stops in about a dozen communities around Washington County including an apple orchard in Cabot and the farmers market in Barre with Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts and road and bridge construction projects in Worcester, Berlin and Montpelier with Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn. Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lindsay Kurrle and Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein visited the Plainfield Co-Op and restaurants in Montpelier, and Libraries Commissioner Catherine Delneo spent time at the public library in Northfield.
Harwood School Superintendent Mike Leichliter (right) and Crossett Brook Middle School Co-Principals Jennifer Durren and Duane Pierson (at left) meet Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders during a visit on Aug. 7. Saunders heard about the school’s history as it resulted from a merger of Waterbury and Duxbury elementary schools in the 1990s. New in her post this year, Saunders pointed to efforts at the state level looking at improving preschool programs, addressing school facility needs, and a commission which includes Leichliter that’s charged with reimagining the public education system and its funding. Saunders promises opportunities ahead for public discussion and input. “I’m listening,” she said. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
In addition to the published schedule, the governor and members of his administration held private meetings with local officials and business leaders to discuss issues such as municipal flood response and recovery, public safety, and challenges for business owners. For example in Waterbury, the governor met briefly with Municipal Manager Tom Leitz and Select Board Chair Roger Clapp.
Ups and downs in the food & beverage sector
Knight began the morning meeting by telling attendees that the state in January would launch a new online portal for bars and restaurants to order alcohol products from the 802Spirits stores. That news was met with cautious optimism from restaurant owners and managers. Purchases by their bar managers are “always a challenge,” said Jackson Strayer-Benton, manager of the Heirloom Hospitality Group that includes Hen of the Wood in Waterbury and Burlington. “More transparency and assistance including monthly sales information through the portal would be really helpful,” he said. “Every cent counts in this business.”
Vermont Liquor and Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight (standing right) addresses the group. Photo by Gordon Miller
Strayer-Benton commented on how bars and restaurants pay the same retail prices as customers in the general public for large quantities of products to supply their operations for weeks or months at a time. Knowing when pricing changes are coming and being able to see inventory availability, for example, would help small hospitality businesses plan better and stretch their purchasing budgets. Mark Frier, owner of the Reservoir, agreed, suggesting the state make “distributor-level pricing” available for restaurants.
Jackson Strayer-Benton, manager of the Heirloom Hospitality Group, asks a question. Photo by Gordon Miller
Knight said those are some of the goals of the web portal. “That’s definitely something we’re looking at,” she said. “When the governor talks about affordability, we think about how we can make it affordable for all of you to do business with us.”
State Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing Heather Pelham was among the administration officials at the morning meeting. She told the food and beverage industry members that the state is working to market Vermont to both visitors and those looking to relocate here. A $750,000 marketing campaign is targeting online streaming services with advertising and those creating the promotions want to tell regional and local stories, she said.
But attendees shared frustration with seeing their business wither after recent floods as news spreads nationally about destruction in Vermont. Nate Dunbar, owner of the Vermont Beer Collective craft beer market, said his sales dropped by 50% last summer following the July flood. How can state marketing staff help, he asked.
“Last year certainly was difficult — seeing our capital city on the national news for weeks on end underwater. That made a big impact,” Pelham replied. The state created a campaign afterward to combat those images, she said. In that vein, the state this year is tailoring messaging to inform the wider public that while some areas have been hit hard by flooding, other areas are fine. “This isn’t just a Vermont problem—severe weather,” she said. “This is happening all over the country.”
Vermont Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Heather Pelham. Photo by Gordon Miller
State marketers know that sharing details such as trail conditions and state park closures are important to be combined with news of what areas are open and available, she said. Lodging places communicate with guests as well, she noted. Pelham also pointed out that tourism spiked in 2022 coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with weddings that were postponed. By comparison, 2023 and 2024 visits have been “soft,” she said. She also pointed out that in-state travel has been affected by the storm impacts as many Vermonters themselves may be dealing with flood recovery rather than traveling around the state this summer. Businesses depending on tourism may feel that impact, too. “Residents are hurting. You might see a drop in your customer mix,” she said.
Gov. Scott said he’s sensitive to public perception of the state as it recovers from disasters, but he shared his own observation following a visit to hard-hit Lyndonville the previous week to tour flood-damaged areas. He said he saw steady traffic with cars from nearby states exiting off Interstate 91. “They’re still coming,” he said. “We need to make sure we’re communicating we’re open.”
Knight said social media will help spread that message while it also promotes Vermont’s food and beverage scene. “We know it’s really important that you have that tourism sector because that’s what keeps you alive for the rest of the year.”
The toughest questions put to the governor and his staff focused on increasing crime and the lack of affordable housing in the state. Strayer-Benton pointed to public safety issues in Burlington while Jeremy Allaire, manager at Crossroads Beverage in Waterbury for the past 17 years, said one doesn’t have to look very far at all. “Theft is out of control. We call police weekly,” he said. The store recently installed a new security system but an inventory check was “devastating” to see how much had been lost to theft, Allaire remarked. Drug use fuels crime, he continued. “There are people in our parking lot regularly shooting up, doing deals. I’m seeing how bad this town is becoming … I’ve never seen it like this,” he said. “It’s coming. It’s here.”
The governor leaned in. “What are they taking?” he asked.
“Liquor, cigarettes,” Allaire said.
Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, asked how the response from the Vermont State Police contracted by the town of Waterbury now compares with the former Waterbury Police Department that was dissolved in 2018. There’s been an uptick in incidents, Allaire replied, adding, “I can tell you the troopers here are amazing. I call them regularly. I text them. They know our situation. They’re there in minutes.”
The coverage, however, could be stronger, Allaire said. “I think we do need a police department. One trooper for this whole area is ridiculous.”
Gov. Phil Scott takes part in the discussion with local food and beverage entrepreneurs. Photo by Gordon Miller
Scott said the answers are layered. He said new legislation enacted this year targets recidivism but the criminal justice system needs to put new measures in place. “We need people to get cited. We need people to go to court,” he said. “We need to hold them accountable.”
Underlying some of the public safety issues, Scott said, is lack of affordable housing. “We need to continue to focus on that and treat it as the crisis that it is,” he said.
A shrinking workforce also makes staffing many fields difficult, the governor said pointing to the state workforce of some 80,000 jobs that currently has about 8,000 openings. “We need to fill positions,” he said, including law enforcement and courts. “It’s all interconnected.”
Britt Thompson, co-owner at Salt & Rind restaurant, circled the conversation back to local businesses. “Our food scene brings in a lot of young people,” she said. They are potential employees, but her partner Luke Williams shared that they have employees who started working in town a year ago who still can’t find a place nearby to live. “I’m really excited about downtown Waterbury,” Thompson said, “but where are our supports?”
State Rep. Theresa Wood, D-Waterbury, interjected that town and state officials are negotiating for the state to sell the town a parcel of land at the State Office Complex where the former Stanley and Wasson Halls once stood. Town officials would like to see the spot near the intersection of Randall Street and Park Row developed for housing and local zoning would allow for approximately 80 new units at that location, Wood noted.
The governor pointed to the state’s aging population as a source of increasing costs such as health care and a shrinking source of new, young workers entering the labor force. Ultimately, Scott said—voicing a theme familiar in his annual State of the State addresses: “We need more people in this state to satisfy the workforce, to grow the economy. I personally think we need more taxpayers and not more taxes to make it more affordable,” he said. “But we have to satisfy a few of those hurdles and get to those first—like housing—in order to do that.”
In thanking the business owners and managers for attending the discussion, Scott encouraged them to both talk with their state legislators and to consider testifying to legislative committees to inform state policy decisions. “We need to hear from everyday folks, entrepreneurs,” Scott said. “If there’s something we can do, we’ll do our very best.”
Manufacturing grows the workforce
Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington and members of his staff, including Deputy Commissioner Dustin Degree, spent the latter half of the morning at KORE Power in Waterbury touring the manufacturing facility and discussing with company President Jay Bellows how the department can work with companies like KORE to grow Vermont’s labor force.
KORE Power president Jay Bellows (right) explains a portion of the battery cell manufacturing process to Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington (center) and Deputy Labor Commissioner Dustin Degree (left) during a tour of the KORE facility at Pilgrim Park on Aug. 7. Photo by Cheryl Casey
Located at Pilgrim Park, KORE Power manufactures, installs and maintains large-scale battery-cell power storage systems. Their products are part of broader efforts in the United States to grow the clean energy industry. Nermin Elezovic, business manager for the state’s Workforce Development Division, appreciated the in-person visit, remarking that KORE is “still sort of a mystery, but they are doing good, good things and got a huge influx of cash [from the U.S. Department of Energy] last year.”
An $850 million federal loan will go toward building a new manufacturing facility in Buckeye, Arizona, but Bellows said that the company is committed to remaining U.S.-based and supporting U.S. energy independence. According to Bellows, workforce needs will only expand, both in and outside of Vermont, and his expectation that the Waterbury location alone will need to grow “from 88 to over 300 employees by the end of 2025.”
The company is also vertically integrated from development to maintenance. That means the company will need to hire more than electrical engineers, technicians and software engineers in its manufacturing workforce, but also accountants, product managers, field engineers for installation and customer service specialists. “As we grow, support systems will need to grow,” Bellows said.
KORE Power employees welcomed Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington and members of his staff during the administration’s “Capital for a Day” visit last week. Photo by Cheryl Casey
Harrington said that understanding an operation such as KORE Power is central to the Workforce Development Division’s efforts. For example, he noted that the state’s Registered Apprenticeship Program connects individuals with employers in an industry of their choosing and provides on-the-job training.
Harrington and Bellows also discussed ways build and innovate internship programs. KORE’s Vice President of Human Resources Jade Mullins said that by working with institutions like Vermont State University, the Vermont National Guard, the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College, “we can get a pipeline going.”
Bellows agreed but acknowledged some of the challenges that other local business leaders voiced during the tour. “We’re trying to keep talent here. People want to learn and people want to be in Vermont,” he said, adding, “as soon as costs level out,” referring to concern about Vermont’s affordability in the face of a tight, expensive housing market and high cost of living.
Harrington and his staff concurred. “The jobs are not always the hard sell,” the commissioner said. “We’re happy to help where we can.”
Outdoor recreation economy: Flood recovery to climate resilience
In the afternoon, a group of 15 individuals from state and federal government as well as local organizations and businesses involved in outdoor recreation convened at the pavilion at Dascomb Rowe Park in downtown Waterbury. The grassy fields were soft with large sections still mud-covered from recent floods as the weather forecast warned of the approaching storms with remnants of Hurricane Debby.
Part of the recreation discussion group at Dac Rowe Park. (L to R): Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Danny Fitzko, John Bauer with Umiak, Ryan Joseph with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office, VMBA Executive Director Nick Bennette, state Director of Lands Administration and Recreation Rebecca Washburn, state Outdoor Recreation Specialist Walter Opuszynski, state Marketing and Tourism Commissioner Heather Pelham, state parks Project Manager Frank Spaulding and WATA Trails Director Alex Showerman. Photo courtesy of Maidstone PR
Danny Fitzko, state Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, hosted the discussion focused on the role of outdoor recreation in Vermont’s economy. Participants quickly got into detail sharing their perspectives on struggles with flood recovery, challenges in navigating funding sources, ideas for strengthening climate resilience, and the importance of communication during and after severe weather events.
Alex Showerman, trails director for Waterbury Area Trails Alliance, told about how his group had to piece together support to repair damage at the Perry Hill and Little River trail networks – receiving assistance from the town, storm relief funds from the Vermont Mountain Bike Trail Association, and help from volunteers. “I was blown away at how quickly the community rallied,” Showerman said.
But Showerman and others agreed that organizations have to build climate resilience to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events as they occur more frequently. “It’s going to keep happening and we’re not going to get out of it by paying for damages. We need to get ahead of it,” said Nick Bennette, executive director of the mountain bike association.
Complicating this challenge is Vermont’s aging infrastructure, as many roads used to access trailheads and trail systems date back more than 100 years. “People were still using horses then,” said state Recreation Program Manager Claire Polfus.
Showerman calls WATA’s Perry Hill trail network an “antique car that we’re using as the daily driver.” The increase in ridership and wetter summers causes more wear and tear on trails that were not built for the current level of use. “These pressures are making it harder for us to be proactive in climate resilience,” Showerman said.
Fitzko shared that hearing the concerns and issues allows her team to be better advocates for those involved in outdoor recreation when it comes to policy development and decision-making. Her team has also been collecting feedback for a five-year plan that the department and the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative are releasing this fall. Called “Move Forward Together Vermont,” the plan “will be a bold, statewide vision for outdoor recreation in Vermont,” Fitzko said.
The plan reflects recreation’s important role as an economic driver in Vermont. Waterbury resident John Bauer works as a manager at Umiak, which operates stores in Stowe and Richmond and the boat rental facility at the Waterbury Center State Park. Bauer said he understands firsthand the business impact of extreme weather events. For example, while the July flood didn’t affect Umiak’s stores, the business took a big hit from the closure of the state park, tour cancellations due to unsafe river conditions, and visitors staying away due to flood reports, Bauer explained.
Showerman concurred based on experience with WATA’s trails saying, “Every day the network is closed means people aren’t coming to town.”
“Recreation return-to-normal is important for our people and our economy,” said Vermont State Parks Project Manager Frank Spaulding. A Waterbury resident, Spaulding volunteers on the town Recreation Committee which he chairs.
“People say, why should we care about this? Isn’t it more important that we take care of people and their homes? The answer is it’s incredibly important,” Spaulding said. “But recreation is also very important. And the benefit of recreation both for physical and mental health for people that live here is real. And we talked about the benefits of the economic recovery of the area. We play a role in helping communities come back.”