Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Thank you. Patrick, Patrick, you may not, we If you have time, great, and if you're doing work, great, but you may not, you may not go and do other things. I'm not sure. I do have things to do. Great. Why don't you go do those things? Okay. And I think for the moment we're okay.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Hope lunch is possible. Gotta get up to that thing he's at.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Oh, oh, you need to go to AOE too? Okay. And let's try and finish earlier rather than later. So okay. So that recap what we have on the agenda to get in shape. So welcome back to Summit Economic Development and Housing and General Affairs. Patriot and I spoke about Patriot's idea was a good one, which was to break up the task force in actual ways, and then I conferred with other some of our stakeholders here during the break. If the committee is willing, this is what I would suggest, that we ask the Department of Economic Development and the Department of Tourism and Marketing to pull together an inventory of the resources available to all stages of business development, both in and out of state government, and to look at how they're marketed, how those resources are marketed now, and how they might be marketed in the future. And once that is done, have that done by early October and have them report to this task force, which will be looking at slightly bigger things and different things now. But the the this the ACC the BED and tourism and marketing would present to the task force in early October what they have found, the inventory of resources, and that the task force would then address within that after that presentation what is missing, what is and I think the stakeholders would also be working obviously with them. What is missing from that list and how we can better market? And then the big question, which I think the task force needs to address is what are the what what's missing from the resources? What can we what needs to be provided? In addition, how we can better serve businesses around the state and how we can continue how we can continue to do the work of growing business development around the state more equitably and the access to capital piece, which is still huge. And there is no consistent way of having business in any formal way access it and have everyone have equal opportunity accessing it. That, does that sound like okay to the committee to have that to task the department and tourism to do that initial work on the inventory and then come to the task force with that presentation? Does that sound okay? That's Jeff. It it would have the people and who else would be working with it? The Department of Economic Development, Lyle Jeffson and his team do an inventory and working with our stakeholders with Linda Rossi and the Vermont State Small Business Development Corporation with Wee Wee and the professionals of color, whole all the stakeholders of business could help inform the economic development, the Department of Economic Development. They would do an inventory of what current what are the current resources offered to all businesses at all stages of development. And then they would present that work and how it's currently marketed or not. And then they would present their work and their recommendations to the committee, to the task force in early October. Just gonna take till I told them to figure out what we've got. I think that by the time this bill passes and by the time people have their summer vacations, I mean, I could we could ask for mid September, but stakeholders maybe felt that early October was more realistic. Should we say mid September? I mean, I don't care. But

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: don't know

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: Chuck represents anything. Let me

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: So so to me, I guess I would wanna defer to what Lyle at the department and his team think is reasonable as far as a stakeholder. I will be poised to contribute whatever I have for data, for needs, for gaps at any time. Okay. So given that, why don't we just put early October? We'll have Lalanne obviously to testify and see if if he can do it sooner. That would be great. But let's put that in. And then the task force, and we will work on the members. And I think we heard some terrific suggestions. I I think that the treasurer is key on this. I would I think we want we already have a while and or on this, but I think Kevin Chittenden needs to be on here. So a member of the the Vermont the Futures. Futures project. And I think we wanna have the treasurer and or designee on this. And I think that's at least good for starters. I mean, I think what we're trying to do is get this bill introduced and and work on it and you can hold the membership promise. Is there anybody else you'd add for

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: No. I just fully endorse Kevin Chu's perspective, and I think he has a broad and long take mine perspective, so we would be designated a pension chair. That's common practice or not, but I'd love for him to direct a lot of that initiative as center on the field. Yeah. So,

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Kesha, I've just suggested pulling out the inventory, having that done by the eighth economic development, and tourism and marketing come have their work then presented to this task force so they can then go forward to address the additional resources needed, the barrier to business development around the state, and the access to capital. Sweet. And now we're looking at who to include on the task force. This is just remember just to get this bill in. We've added Kevin Chittenden instead, I think, instead of the sustainable jobs fund. Let's add Kevin Chew, the the Vermont futures project. Let's What did you say instead of the sustainable I I think we're just we want a small group. I think we don't necessarily need sustainable jobs fund at the moment. Sure. But they're a stakeholder, and they would be well, their testimony would be relevant all. And I think we need to say at some point in consultation with all stakeholders, you know, with all business stakeholders, you know, consultation with business stakeholders. But I have added the trek we've added the treasurer and or designee and the Vermont Futures Project and or designee. I also love to consider having executive director of of or or something similar, but I'm open to and we can discuss this, obviously, if the bill gets introduced to the. The any other suggestions on that before we leave that? Can I

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: get a clarification? So the current there's 10 members here. You would replace number six. Yep. The single dollars fund with the dump deep feature project. Yeah, and the treasurer. So you would add the treasurer. Yep. Did you also want to add the chamber? Did I hear that clear? Chamber of Commerce or Designate?

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: No. I I mean, I can't I think Kevin I think Kevin has certainly a voice for the chamber. Don't you think, Jeremy?

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Yeah. And I can get back to you on if you're wrong.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: And we'll discuss. So, I mean, this is just yeah. Just to

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: get the discussion going. And then possibly the the exec director of Hoover Yeah. Will double check that.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Okay. So fifteen minutes.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Then the other question here on this is who who is responsible for it. We did the date changes. We're checking with Scott Moore, so we'll have more you have at the moment

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: ACCD being responsible for this. Right? And and administratively, correct. And also your funding, Hoping for discussion on that.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Yeah. I don't have a I think that maybe a it's I don't want I mean, we happy to leave it as it is for the introduction, but I I would really like us to see it once we have more information from Scott more about that. Quest I do have a question as we go forward. Does anyone want to, in this draft for introduction, include the veggie adding the the s 88, the added enhanced incentive of of employee owned or member owned coops or veggie. Do you have any stomach for that? Just putting it right in here. It's an economic development issue. The repeals pull in here? The repeals pull out these sections. Okay.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Another tool, I think, worth it in taking conversations.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Okay. So could we add this maybe? That would be great. Anything else? I think for introduction, this is you give me a shake to introduce with those changes. And then and way way everybody's on deck to to testify because we understand that. Do we want to include specific fee amounts that are actually in the governor's budget at the moment? The the break fee for the three eighty eight, eight $3.89. Oh, you've got say, you've got because you've included this. But we don't have the the micro business one is slightly different. Let's correct that.

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: And clarify what the what the governor recognizes.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Yes. And clarify that we're asking for another 100,000. Okay?

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Can I

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: ask one question?

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Yeah. One more question. Because we yeah. I just wanna remind us we began micro business at a million. It's sadly been cut every year. Yeah. My

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: question, back to the task force, the powers and duties, I understand you want the Department of Economic Development and Careers and Marketing With the stakeholders.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Consultation with business stakeholders. That

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: you want them to to To create Basically, an on page seven, you have the current duties, aggregate resources available to each business in each stage development, determine which additional resources are necessary, and then three is kind of a combination of those two, how to market those. You understand that's kind of what you want to defer to those two entities?

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Exactly. And have them do that in time Right. To present so that then the task force can address how to to, how to either how to improve them. Okay. And and what might be added. So what might be added and how we can improve, how we market to, all businesses.

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: And then the access of capital piece subdivision for. Right. Is that something separate? For the task force. For the task force.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Okay. For the task force would then I think we'd have the two additional pieces, which is how do they would address what's missing in resources, what what what additional resources are necessary, and how better to mark how better market the resources we have available, and then access to capital. Got it. That sound right?

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: Okay. Right.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: And then I think we'd be ready for that. If and then what we committing what we're hoping to do at 11:40 in my own morning is to look at those bills, see if they're ready for instruction and sign off on that and vote on those just for instructions. Is that okay? You'll be here? You won't be up at 08:08.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: You know what? Tomorrow, I will be late. I did email you about rotary. That's gonna give

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: you Yes. I know. I saw that. But you will hopefully be here by 11:30.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Tomorrow?

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Yeah.

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: Yeah. Okay. Tomorrow.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Tomorrow. Let's be here. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Because tomorrow, we need to vote this out.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Okay. Yeah. I'll be here.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Okay. As long as you're here by 11:30, that's good. We will miss you, of course, for the rest of the time.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: You're on 09:15. So

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: And so I just wanna say, Ellen and Rosie, who we haven't yet met, Rosie, it's lovely to see you, and Nicole Killer, and I know you're here also. Just a big thank you to all of you. We will have you testify. Hi. It's great to see you all. Rosie seems to be the new micro business person at Capstone, which is great. It's wonderful to have you. We have Wee Wee and Linda here representing the Professionals of Color and Vermont Small Business Development Center. Thank you all for being our partners on this, and we will have a full and robust conversation about this as we go forward. This is just simply to get this bill introduced. Okay? Thank you. Thank you all. I think if we're okay with this draft, Rick, do you think we could see this and circulate it maybe later today?

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: Which definition of today? Tonight. For sure. Okay.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: So we could circulate it tonight for people to just have a chance to

[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: look at.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: I wouldn't have been able to look at it any time of day anyway, so I I just didn't wanna rush in. So the housing bill will also be circulated today. So I would ask the committee to please just review those because we're gonna be voting on them tomorrow and just get them introduced. Okay? And then we will continue to work on this. Thank you. This was Thank you. Productive and done in much less time than I expected. Thomas, you are taking off.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: So do I ask you?

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: I'm sorry if I missed this, but okay. So we're we might get a spreadsheet. We're gonna have a spreadsheet. Okay. Got it. I'm getting a spreadsheet next week.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: If you're still meeting, I'm just gonna stick

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: around the paperwork. Whatever you want. This was the job was to get this bill ready for introduction. I think we're okay with the following. Unless there's more you wanna add at the moment.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: So Jeremy Little on the agenda, do you have anything to say?

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Go right down the list.

[Jeremy Little (Vermont Chamber of Commerce)]: Yeah. Jeremy Little from the Chamber of Commerce. I think that was just as a result of, my answer to senator Clarkson's question earlier. Okay.

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: And our treasurer, we have a new person from the treasurer's office who's here, and just introduce yourself if you would. Yeah. I'm Lauren Stalls. I'm a legislative assistant for the treasurer's office. Great. We really appreciate you being here for this. And Wei Wei, Linda, introduce yourselves. Wei Wei Washi, her pronouns, co executive director of the Vermont Professional Development Center. Linda Rutland, excuse me, Linda Rossi, state director, Vermont Small Business Development Center. I just want to thank the committee for clearly demonstrating your continued interest in understanding the needs of small businesses in Vermont and wanting to support them in the best way possible. Thank you.

[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: And

[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Aiden, our wonderful intern to senator Brown. I I think had we known we were gonna do this in such speedy fashion, I think we would have obviously put many important things in, but given we're losing two members of our committee, I think and you're going up there too. We're what's happening? Okay. We're gonna go off live. We're gonna see everybody tomorrow morning at nine. Good. Thank you very much. Perfect time.