WVTK Local & State News August 1, 2014

Vermont's public television station will pay a $15,000 fine for violations of open meeting laws. The station, now known as Vermont PBS, acknowledged earlier this year that on 18 occasions its board of directors failed to post proper notices after coming out of executive session. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides $1 million in funding to Vermont PBS, decided the violations warranted a financial penalty.

Taxpayers in Addison and Panton are receiving higher tax bills this year than last year, but the increase in Panton is not as dramatic as Addison Northwest Supervisory Union officials had originally projected. Selectboards in both towns adopted municipal tax rates, levies to pay for town office and road spending, in July, Addison’s on July 1 and Panton’s on July 22.

The Middlebury selectboard earlier this week unanimously approved an agreement with Middlebury College that formalizes a property swap that will lead to new municipal offices, a new recreation center and a new public park.

For the fifth time this year, authorities in Vermont are investigating the death of a child. Burlington police responded to a house on Isham Street last week, with an unresponsive baby rushed to Fletcher Allen Health Care. Thursday, the four-week-old infant died after he was taken off of life support. The Chittenden Unit for Special Investigation and the County State's Attorney are working together on this, and awaiting autopsy results to determine how the baby boy died.

There may actually someday be a Champlain Parkway in Burlington after all. A ruling by the Vermont Environmental Court late Wednesday supports the city's claim that if built, the parkway would improve driving conditions in much of the South End. The judge also directed both sides, the city which wants to build it, and opponents to the parkway, to work in good faith to resolve any traffic congestion and safety issues.