Senate ethics committee misses mark on conflict complaint
Guest Perspective
John Bossange
On Feb. 13, 14 Vermonters filed a conflict-of-interest complaint with the Vermont Senate Ethics Committee accusing Sen. Ram Hinsdale, chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs, of advancing and promoting the financial interest of her family’s vast real estate holdings by helping craft and approve language in a bill she sponsored that will benefit her family’s fortune.
The complaints alleged that Hinsdale violated Vermont Senate Rule 71, Permanent Rules of the Senate, which states that “no Senator shall be permitted to vote upon any question in which he or she is directly or immediately interested.”
I was the lead contact representing the Vermonters who signed the complaint.
Surprisingly, the Senate Committee on Ethics, chaired by Sen. Brian Campion, conducted a preliminary review and did not find probable cause that an ethical violation occurred. There was no investigation.
The committee’s short letter was written in careful lawyerly prose, which comes across, as short and precise, but for a proud Vermonter like me, as cold and terse, with no acknowledgement
of citizen involvement or concern for the reputation of the Vermont Senate.
Interestingly, the language in the Vermont State Ethics Commission is much broader and more expansive in defining a conflict of Interest when compared to the language used by the Senate committee. The complainants chose both the form and language from the State Ethics Commission because it uses the statement “the appearance of” a conflict of interest, and not just a direct conflict or interest.
We applied their standard, using the ethics commission document that asks: “Would a reasonable, average person with knowledge of all relevant facts think you have a conflict of interest?” The answer is an obvious yes. Perception and appearance are critical, so we filed the complaint.
That meant little to the Senate committee. They used their own conflict of interest document to excuse Hinsdale from any violation. When you read through the rules of the Senate committee document, it is easy to see where the “excuses” and escape hatches are for Hinsdale and others to continue to advance personal interests through legislative actions.
I can imagine there are some legislators who are landlords and may make additional, secondary income. However, there are few in Chittenden County, and
probably the entire state, who make their living as the Hinsdales do. Hinsdale’s husband Jacob manages their dozens and dozens of properties for his mother, Irene Hinsdale. With the passage of Act 47, the skids are well greased for more profitmaking as defined in the conflict-of-interest document.
The bigger picture here is that developers, real estate agents and lending institutions will build anywhere, build anything and charge anything to reap the financial benefits from the housing crisis. Additionally, the Hinsdales will continue to subdivide older single-family homes and traditional duplexes built decades ago for families and where families could live today. Those could be more affordable homes and duplexes and they are now mostly smaller student rental units benefiting the Hinsdale empire.
Chopping them up into expensive apartments and smaller rooms will continue to deny a family looking to buy a place to live.
Hinsdale and her family are a part of a select group of landlords, developers, real estate agents, bankers and lending institutions that are making millions using the housing crisis as their cover. More specifically, the senator and her family are misusing the important goals of more affordable apartments, more core density and less suburban sprawl, as their cover to grow their family fortune.
As the conflict-of-interest
Anyone can say they are a “ nancial planner.”
complaint requested, Vermont Senate Pro Tempore Philip Baruth should never have allowed Hinsdale to serve as the chair of the economic development, housing and general affairs committee. Hinsdale should have been reassigned to another committee.
Further, if Sen. Hinsdale understood what this major conflict of interest would eventually do to her reputation and the reputations of her colleagues, along with the public’s perception of the full Senate, she would have wisely requested another assignment, recuse herself from the committee during these discussions, or follow the guidance given by the Vermont State Ethics Commission to clear her name.
LETTERS continued from page 5
was created when the Legislature, after some disastrous decisions concerning the deer herd, decided it did not have the expertise, experience or firsthand knowledge for setting hunting and fishing rules and regulations, so it created a separate citizen-populated board to handle the task. This was a very important step for bringing decision-making closer to rule by citizens, the essence of democratic government. The board has done an outstanding job with what they were tasked to do.
Years ago, the Water Resources Board underwent this same transformation, to the detriment of Vermonters, in the decisions made since then. Recently there was a demonstration of the role of the governor in proposed rules on wake boats against the wishes of almost all feedback from Vermonters.
All this has come about due to the political pressure from animal rights groups whose goals, for the most part, would be to end all hunting and trapping, notwithstanding their claims to the contrary. Those goals are what keeps those organizations alive.
Their strategy is to do anything that would weaken the influence of hunters and trappers on rulemaking. This would be like putting right-to-lifers on the board of Planned Parenthood.
Please oppose it.
Ray Gonda South Burlington Shelburne Post
Office demolition derby
To the Editor:
A woman I was close to for most of my life gave up her license to drive because she didn’t want to be responsible for injuring some-
It’s now understood why she did not, and that dark shadow will follow her political career. That same shadow will continue to darken and stain the reputation of Senate’s ethics committee, as well as the many honest, hard-working legislators who continue to serve all Vermonters.
The foxes cannot be guarding the henhouse. Senators will be very reluctant to turn on one of their own colleagues. An independent group of citizens and professionals like the panel serving on the Vermont State Ethics Commission needs to oversee the actions of all elected representatives.
John Bossange lives in South Burlington.
one else, inadvertently or otherwise. She was about 68 years old.
With all that has been written on the two incidents of cars driving through the Shelburne Post Office, there has not been one word or thought published about one’s ability — or inability — to continue to safely operate a motor vehicle. We have two cases where drivers bounced up over a 7-inch reveal concrete walkway, drove through a 12-inch diameter wood support column, continued for another 15 feet, and crashed through the front wall of the building. In one case, the driver crossed the 4-foot-wide hallway on the inside of the building before crashing into an interior wall where postal employees were working before they found the break.
Picture a postal customer coming out of the office with her baby in her hands during either one of those incidents. Then picture having to be retested for your ability to continue driving at a specified age. Shall we continually kick the can down the road on issues that demand common-sense answers, rather than more tax and spend efforts that address nothing related to the issue at hand.
I recently submitted a fivepage letter to the Vermont public safety commissioner addressing numerous and documented unsafe driving behaviors we all witness many times a day and I’ve written others to the Shelburne News, all to no avail. Sure, let’s place interstate-rated Jersey crash barriers around public facilities and build them with 24-inch-thick, concrete-reinforced walls to ensure our safety. But is that the most cost-effective, common-sense or safest solution?
Timothy Dudley Shelburne
Page 6 • April 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
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those who have met
Diversity, equity retreat
On April 6, Shelburne’s Equity and Diversity Committee held a retreat to create a charter and prioritize work in the coming fiscal year. The group was created in 2021 by the selectboard “To recommend to the Selectboard actions to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in all activities of town government and assist in mobilizing community and external resources for the same.” The meeting was held at the Inn at Shelburne Farms Inn, which also donated coffee and tea. The committee is looking for new members. From left, Faith Yacubian, Jennie Hoenigsberg, Sarah McIlvennie, Cate Cross, Shelburne police Sgt. Josh Flore, selectboard liaison Chunka Mui, Michele Crowder and Patricia Fontaine, on screen. Not in attendance were Mercedes Ortega and student member Alexis Hall.
News from Pierson Library
Poetry erupts all over
It’s National Poetry Month and the Pierson Library hasn’t forgotten. On Saturday, April 20, the library is hosting an open mic for teens and tweens at 3 p.m. and every day from noon-12:30 p.m., the Noontime Poetry Reading Society will gather.
This society is always welcoming new members. Its sole function is to read whole books of poetry aloud, allowing the words and images to transform the mouth, one half an hour at a time.
Also, there’s a poet-tree set-up, as envisioned by Shelburne’s junior poet laureate, Roman Strayer-Benton. Come to the circulation desk to gather a leaf and add a poem to the tree display.
Hands-on with nature
Want to learn how to breakup with your lawn? How about composting 101? Beginning beekeeping? Saving seeds for textile arts? It’s all happening at the Pierson Library. Check out the calendar for a full listing of upcoming events.
Historical talks
On Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m., join Brian Knight and the Shelburne Historical Society for a tale of the Shelburne Shipyard. Then, hurry back Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m. for a presentation on the contributions made by Vermont soldiers in the famous civil war battle of Cedar Creek, presented by Michael Soules.
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Champlain Valley spring sports’ teams get seasons underway
look to return to the top. CVU also welcomes new coach Brian Loughlin to steer the program back to the final.
Boys’ lacrosse
Coach: Brian Loughlin
Last season: 12-3, lost in the D-I semifinals
This season: 1-0
Key returnees: Peter Gilliam, attack, senior; Peyton Anderson, defense, senior; Trevor Stumpff, long stick midfielder, junior; Jacob Bose, midfielder, senior; Ray Hagios, face-offs, junior.
Key newcomers: Matias Williams, attack, junior; Luke Buehler, midfielder, sophomore; George Taylor, defense, junior; William Kearney, goalie, senior
Outlook: Last season, the boys saw their nine-year D-I title run come to an end in the semifinals but the Redhawks return 15 seniors from that squad as they
“We are well-conditioned, and the guys have been working hard to make sure their stick skills are dialed in,” Loughlin said. “While winning is important, the most important thing is becoming the best version of ourselves over the course of the season.”
CVU has experienced players at most positions.
Up next: Thursday, April 18, against Middlebury Baseball
Coach: Nicky Elderton
Last season: Division I state champions
Key returnees: Aaron LaRose, pitcher, senior; Calvin Steele, catcher, senior; Cole Cudney, first base, senior; Declan Cummings,
third base, senior; Elise Berger, pitcher, senior; Mitchell Niarchos, second base, senior; Russell Willoughby, shortstop, senior; Stephen Rickert, pitcher, senior; Travis Stroh, outfield, senior.
Key newcomers: Andrew Nunziata, outfield, first year; Daniel Tuiqere, catcher, junior; Henry Bushey, outfield, junior; John Deyo, outfield, junior; Lander Magoon, first base, junior; Michael Dunbar, outfield, senior; Noah Musgrave, outfield, junior; Orion Yates, first base, first year; Riley McDade, shortstop, sophomore; Riley O’Brien, outfield, junior.
Outlook: After capturing the championship last season, Champlain Valley has a retooled roster ready for another go at the title. The Redhawks return a lot of impact players from last year’s team but will need to replace some of the top pitching they got from Stephen
Rickert and Chris Robinson.
“This is a special group with a lot of great leaders,” second-year coach Nicky Elderton said. “Pitching and defense will hopefully be big strengths for us throughout the year. We are continuing to improve on the offensive and defensive sides of the game every day.”
CVU will also add a bevy of newcomers to an already stacked squad, making them a strong contender this season.
Opener: Tuesday, April 23, against Mount Abraham, 4:30 p.m.
Softball
Coach: Rahn Fleming
Last season: 4-12, lost in the D-I playdowns
Key returnees: Mackenzie Yandow, pitcher, junior; Morgan Gallup, pitcher, junior; Autumn Francis, infield, senior; Amber Reagan, infield, junior; Baylee Yandow, infield/outfield, junior; Hannah Blanchard, infield, junior; Kiera Kavanagh, infield, junior; Hannah Shepardson, pitcher/ infield/outfield, junior; Alex Wemple, infield/outfield, junior; Nina Zimakas, infield, senior; Morgan Gallup, infield, junior; Lilly Caputo, outfield, senior.
Key newcomers: Hannah Blanchard, pitcher, sophomore; Drew Farmer, catcher, junior; Abby Usher, catcher, junior; Addie Niebur, center, junior; Tegan Scruggs, infield, first year; Cordelia Thomas, outfield, sophomore.
Outlook: CVU will look to turn the corner this season with a new coach and a deep roster. The Redhawks will have a few options
on the mound this season, as well as depth in the infield to bolster the defense.
“I’ve been very impressed with our speed and lateral mobility,” first-year coach Rahn Fleming said. “We’re also fortunate to have strong, stable leadership from our seniors.”
That leadership will come in handy as the team is very young, with only three seniors. CVU hopes to see this young group improve as the season progresses and the team gets more varsity experience.
Opener: Tuesday, April 23, against Mount Abraham, 4:30 p.m. Girls’ lacrosse
Coach: Tucker Pierson
Last season: 13-2, lost in the D-I state championship
This season: 0-1
Key returnees: Stella Dooley, midfield, senior; Clare Stackpole-McGrath, goalie, senior; Kate Boehmcke, defense, senior; Emerson Rice, midfield, senior; Bibi Frechette, midfield, junior; Rose Bunting, defense, junior
Key newcomers: Too soon to tell
Outlook: Girls’ lacrosse came close to capturing the first D-I title in program history but fell just short. The team returns a solid core of last year’s roster but will have to integrate a slate of new players to build off last year’s success.
“Even though we are returning a lot of players, this feels like a very new team and that is excit-
See
Page 10 • April 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
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ing,” coach Tucker Pierson said. “We are a team filled with good players, so it will be fun to see how they play together and how they come together as a team.”
CVU will build from the back, with returning goalie Clare Stackpole-McGrath anchoring the defense and a strong returning midfield looking to set the tone.
Up next: Wednesday, April 17, at Middlebury
Boys’ tennis
Coach: Frank Babbott
Last season: 7-6-1, lost in the D-I quarterfinals
This season: 0-1
Key returnees: Oscar Anderson, junior; Ziggy Babbott, junior; Jacob Graham, junior; Silas Cohen, junior; Nolan Sandage, junior; Kyle Krieger, junior; Ben Fina, sophomore; Dash Tota, sophomore.
Key newcomers: Nik Blasius, senior; Henry Frost, senior; Charlie Jennings, senior; Luke Sampson, senior; River Enser, first-year; Sawyer Lake, first-year.
Outlook: The Champlain Valley boys tennis team has a mix of returning and new players as it gets ready for a league that coach Frank Babbott expects to be competitive across the board. The Redhawks have a strong core of junior players who will provide the team’s starters at the beginning of the season.
“I expect CVU will improve as the season moves forward, and as usual we hope for decent weather,” Babbott said.
Up next: Monday, April 15, at Essex Girls’ tennis
Coach: David Lisle
Last season: 11-3, lost in the D-I finals
Key returnees: Cassie Bastress, singles, senior; Tabitha Bastress, singles, senior; Anna Dauerman, singles, sophomore; Addie Maurer, singles/doubles, senior; Ariel Toohey, doubles, junior
Key newcomers: Too soon to tell
Outlook: After advancing all the way the D-I semifinals last season, the girls return eight seniors from that runner-up squad.
The Redhawks do have a new coach — David Lisle — but invite back longtime coach Amy deGroot as an assistant to help with the transition.
“What I love about this team is how quickly they have come together to embrace each other,” Lisle said. “This is the camaraderie that makes for an excellent season.”
Anna Dauerman went all the way to the semifinals in the individual tournament last year and will look to lead the way in singles again.
Up next: Monday, April 15, versus St. Johnsbury Track and field
Coaches: Dave Kogut and Jess LaPlante
Key returnees: Girls: Alice Kredell, junior; Estella Laird, junior; Audrey Neilson, sophomore; Lydia Donahue, sophomore; Charlotte Crum, sophomore; Annalise Wood, junior; Noe Jenni, junior; Harper Danforth, senior; Zora Ngu, senior; Kate Kogut, senior; Amelia Novak, senior; Mahoune Felix, senior; Zoe Mui, junior; Annaliesa Fry, junior; Izzy Gravina-Budis, sophomore; Lilyanna Mittelstadt, sophomore; Addison James, first year; Emmeline Brewer, first year.
Boys: Dan Knight, senior; Kody Guiterman, senior; Simon Hunt, senior; Anders Johnson, senior; Avery Rogers, junior; Dylan Elder, junior; Quintin Fortier, sophomore; AJ Sicard, sophomore.
Key newcomer: Girls: Elsa Klein, first year. Boys: Treson McEnaney, first year; Ben Holoch, first year; Cole Hart, first year.
Outlook: The track and field team returns a lot of strong runners this season and on the girls’ side brings in a team that just captured the program’s indoor track and field state title. The Redhawks will look to bring that success outside this season, including state championship relay teams in the 4x400 and 4x800 races.
For the boys, the team will look to improve as the season progresses and build off some strong individual performances.
Opener: Monday, April 15 at CVU
CVU lacrosse teams win one, lose one
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Girls’ lacrosse
South Burlington 9, Champlain Valley 5: Champlain Valley took an early lead but could not hold off South Burlington in a loss Saturday, April 13, to open the season.
Rachel Kelley scored four for the Wolves, including her 100th career goal.
Boys’ lacrosse
Champlain Valley 18, South Burlington 9: Champlain Valley doubled up the South Burlington offensive output to open the season with a win Friday, April 12.
Peter Gilliam had five goals and
Stella Dooley posted a hat trick for the Redhawks (0-1), while Bibi Frechette and Carly Strobeck each added a goal. Clare Stackpole-McGrath and Margan Keach combined for four saves in goal.
one assist, while Matias Williams added a hat trick. Jacob Bose chipped in two goals and an assist.
CVU opens the season at 1-0.
Boys’ tennis
Middlebury 6, Champlain Valley 1: Nolan Sandage got the lone win as Champlain Valley fell to Middlebury in boys’ tennis on Friday.
Sandage won his singles match 6-7, 7-6, 1-0 (10-4) in the third-set tiebreaker.
Applications are being accepted for lifeguards at Shelburne Beach. Visit the recreation department’s website for an application.
Applications will be accepted until positions are filled. Questions? Call Betsy Cieplicki at 802-985-9551.
Davis Park gardens
Located next to the Natural Playground at Davis Park on School Street, these raised bed gardens are designed to provide better accessibility for those that may need it. A few of the small plots are available.
Water is on site. Gardening is organic only, no pesticide or chemical use. Plots will be assigned in April with planting starting in
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April 19-20
Shelburne News • April 18, 2024 • Page 11
PHOTO BY AL FREY
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The CVU girls’ lacrosse team lost to the Wolves Saturday 9-5.
Shelburne Parks & Rec News
Highway Foreperson Needed
This is a supervisory position that is responsible for overseeing and participating in the maintenance of the town’s highway infrastructure. A valid VT issued CDL Class A license is required. Required skills include proficient operation of a road grader, excavator, front-end loader, backhoe, and tandem plow truck. The starting pay rage is $33.00-$36.00/hr and is dependent on qualifications and experience. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: snowplowing, heavy equipment operation, scheduling and oversight of contractors, heavy equipment maintenance.
This position provides health, dental, vision and disability insurance; paid time off; pension plan; and 13 paid holidays. For more information visit https://www.hinesburg.org/home/townmanager/pages/employment-opportunities or contact Todd Odit, Town Manager at todit@hinesburg.org or 482-4206
HINSDALE
continued from page 1
that duplexes be permitted in lots with water and sewer service that are zoned as single-family.
Through this legislation, Ram Hinsdale “was advocating for what was really in the best interest of her family,” said John Bossange, one of the complainants who has pushed back against efforts to develop housing.
Her role on the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs should be scrutinized, he said.
“They have a vast array of holdings, and this is what they do. They break up homes, divide them like all those single-family homes on Loomis and Pearl streets in Burlington, and they’re making a ton of money,” he said. “For us, that’s a clear violation of a code of ethics and that’s why we filed a complaint.”
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Ram Hinsdale, in an interview, pushed back against their assertions, and said the Senate ethics panel declined to investigate further “because we all have ties to our communities — our civic organizations, schools, pensions, churches.”
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“You could find a conflict of interest and try to exploit that with every single member of the Legislature,” she said.
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But questions about the committee’s practice of confidentiality have run into concerns over whether there is enough transparency in the process of reviewing complaints and determining whether they merit investigation.
to “address her conflicts of interest by removing herself from the Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs Committee immediately.”
complaint. Bossange shared the release, as well as correspondence with Ram Hinsdale and other documents, to several media outlets.
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“We need to take this process seriously and give it its due time,” Ram Hinsdale said. “But if we made it a spectacle, if it was some kind of process where anyone could drag someone’s name through the mud in an open hearing, it would be used against us all the time.”
Meeting in secret
The 14 complainants — Bossange and Rosanne Greco in South Burlington, Bill Stuono and Wolfer Schneider in Charlotte, and several others in towns like Plainfield, South Hero and Winooski, for example — believe Ram Hinsdale has “a legal requirement and professional responsibility”
REC NEWS
continued from page 11
early May.
Plot size and cost: 8-foot by 3-foot, 30 inches high, $20; 8-foot by 4-foot, 24 inches high, $25.
Toddler open gym
In an email exchange with Bossange prior to the complaints filing, Ram Hinsdale wrote that “someone would have to be both mean spirited and quite poorly read to conclude a major conflict in my work” and said that “what you do for work, who you are married to, what kind of pension you receive, etc. would preclude everyone who serves.”
The group first submitted its complaint to the State Ethics Commission on Feb. 13, alleging Ram Hinsdale violated Vermont Senator Rule 71 that states “no Senator shall be permitted to vote upon any question in which he or she is directly or immediately interested.”
But after several weeks, the group on March 27 issued a press release calling attention to the
The complaint was forwarded to the Senate Ethics Committee on March 15 — both chambers of the Statehouse have their own panels for their members — and prior to the panel’s decision, senators said they could not discuss the complaint or even confirm its existence.
“Ethics committee meetings are confidential so there is not a whole lot that I can share,” Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky said.
Sen. Randy Brockman, meanwhile, said that “members of the Senate Ethics Committee are constrained by Senate Rules from commenting on the committee’s activities.”
The panel’s chair, Brian Campion, did not respond to a message
See HINSDALE on page 13
present. Scooters, bikes and ride-on toys are not permitted. There will be balls, hoops and tumbling mats. Wear indoor shoes or socks inside the gym. No food is allowed.
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Come play and connect with others. No pre-registration necessary, just sign in at the door. A parent or caregiver must always be
In case of inclement weather, call 802-985-9551 to check for cancellations. The open gym for toddlers and
preschoolers is held the second and last Sunday of the month through May, 9:30-11 a.m. The dates are April 14 and 28 and May 12 and 26. A $5 suggested donation per family would be appreciated. Volunteer coordinator is Aisha Mueller at Shelburne town gym. For more information, visit shelburnevt.org.
Page 12 • April 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
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Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale
HINSDALE
continued from page 12
Vermont’s framework over governmental ethics concerns is relatively new and is “actually quite behind,” Christina Sivret, executive director of the Vermont State Ethics Commission, said.
That commission, which functions independent of the Statehouse, was created after a report by the Center for Public Integrity ranked Vermont very low in its accountability processes. The state later created a code of ethics for Senate and House members in 2022.
The Senate Government Operations Committee is currently looking into legislation that would create a code of ethics for municipalities and expand the commission’s jurisdiction over municipalities.
The private nature of the process for reviewing complaints, officials say, is to protect the people submitting complaints — people who may have been sexually harassed, for example. But concerns have been raised over whether the existence of a complaint can be confirmed at all.
“The procedure says it’s all confidential so probably most of the senators would tell you they can’t speak about it because of the procedure,” John Bloomer, secretary of the Senate, said. “I don’t know whether that’s good, bad or indifferent. I mean, I’m just being honest with you on that.”
Currently, a complaint is only made public if the investigating committee opens
an investigation after a preliminary review, or if the complainant goes public.
Bloomer says there is nothing barring complainants from going public or going to the press, and the state’s ethics commission puts out a yearly summary of how many complaints they’ve received, as well as how many inquiries to file a complaint they’ve received. None of those are tagged to individual senators, however.
“The idea is not to keep the public from knowing,” Bloomer said, “it’s to make sure that if those who are complaining don’t want it to be made public, it’s not made public by the panel or by the senators who are accused — as a weaponization if nothing else.”
That the existence of the complaints themselves are not made publicly available is of concern, Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said.
Behind the legislation
In crafting Act 47, Ram Hinsdale said her goal was to facilitate infill development, and turn underutilized housing into more efficient spaces that are more affordable for people.
Vacancy rates are stubbornly low and housing prices remain high. Part of the reason for this, experts have said, is the lack of supply in housing units.
“(The complainants) complain about cutting a single-family home into a duplex, or a quadruplex, but 70 percent of Vermonters live in a household of two people or less,” Ram Hinsdale said. “So, the best way to limit development and green space is actually to start looking at underutilized homes.”
“If Sen. Ram Hinsdale understood what this major conflict of interest would eventually do to her reputation and the reputations of her colleagues along with the public’s perception of the full senate, she would have wisely requested another assignment, recuse herself from the committee during these discussions, or follow the guidance given by the Vermont State Ethics Commission to clear her name,” Bossange wrote in a perspective for this week’s newspaper. “It’s now understood why she did not, and that dark shadow will follow her political career.” (See related, page 6)
Hinsdale says she has kept “a very open discussion with my community about the housing work I do. I try to keep that separate from my husband’s line of work, but we share a last name. People have still elected me knowing that.”
RABIES BAIT
“A more reasonable way forward would be for the commission to make public the existence of the complaint so, at the very least, we all know that a complaint has been filed against a particular legislator,” he said.
But, he noted, that keeping details of a complaint hidden until an investigation is determined necessary might be warranted “in that you don’t want members of the public to be filing meritless complaints against their legislators and abusing the process, which would certainly occur if all the details were revealed.”
continued from page 2
The push to relax zoning regulations has been met with stiff resistance from those — like the complainants — concerned with the environmental impact of unchecked development.
The complainants, in their press release, cite the recent conversion of a single-family home in Charlotte in fall 2023 into a quadraplex as “a specific and relevant example of the Hinsdale family making a profit from what Act 47 now allows the family to do.”
The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease.
Bossange said the ethics committee’s decision “missed the mark.” Perception and appearance of a conflict of interest, or the optics of it all, should be critical to the process.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often
State legislators and officials have faced these sorts of criticisms previously, she said. Gov. Phil Scott in 2017 owned a construction company that regularly bid on state transportation contract but sold a part of his stake in the company, while other legislators have recused themselves from certain votes to avoid appearances of a conflict when their partners’ work intersects with legislation.
saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.
But, in a citizen legislature, “if everyone did that, there would be no one left to vote,” Hinsdale said. “If everything was investigated because there’s the appearance of a conflict, we wouldn’t be able to function.”
So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.
According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.
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ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE
Shelburne News • April 18, 2024 • Page 15
Puzzles
Weekly
Horoscope April 18, 2024
BEAUDIN
continued from page 3
In addition to hundreds of private homes, other prominent architectural projects of Beaudin’s include the design of the new Community Sailing Center, originally housed in Burlington’s old Moran plant on the waterfront that came to life in 2018, All Saints Episcopal Church in South Burlington, and the Creamery Building in Shelburne.
Coleman spoke with Beaudin quite a few times throughout his career, the last time about eight months ago while he was recording a podcast about architects in the state and where he was able, for the last time, to hear the enthralling stories of Beaudin’s life.
“He was sharp to the end, in good spirits, telling stories,” he said.
Family ties
While her father’s design legacy is something she sees almost everywhere, his storytelling is something his daughter Becky Beaudin will miss the most. She recalled growing up in a home on Shelburne Point designed by her father that housed the family of seven until 1970, when the family moved to Main Street in Burlington.
“To grow up in such a magical setting was really wonderful for us,” she said.
Being the only the girl in the family, she said she used to follow her dad around “like a puppy,” and distinctly remembers his routine summertime swims in the lake after work, a place he loved almost as much as his drafting office.
Beaudin, she said, spent a lot of time with his work, but when he was there, he was a very “loving person in his own way.” When the family came into hardship as her brother Marc battled mental illness, her father always kept track of him, she said.
“One of the interesting things about my dad, even though he didn’t seem to always be there, he knew so much about each of his kids and what they did, he was really paying attention,” she said. “He’s my greatest inspiration, you know. I loved my father.”
His stepdaughter, Sheryl Shaker, also lived in a home in Connecticut that was redesigned by Beaudin.
“I mean, every conversation was a lecture in design and architecture,” she laughed, reminiscing on her memories of him. “I learned so much from him. His other passion was sailing, and we always felt like those two passions really aligned, because things were very functional. He
was not into embellishments.”
During his time as a Vermonter, Beaudin found residency in Burlington, Shelburne and South Burlington, where he served on planning commissions and became a sort of community figure.
As Coleman puts it, his design drafts, which are currently being archived by the special collections library at the University of Vermont, are a reminder of Vermont’s built environment and stand as a testament to the miracle of architecture.
“Really, it’s incredible that anything gets built,” said Coleman, speaking about the process of design.
But more than anything, they are a retrospective look into the mind of a man who helped launch Vermont’s great landscape into the modern world.
“I always remind people that the 20th century happened here also,” he said. “We don’t live in the 19th century. There’s a whole segment of the built environment that reflects the 20th century, which was probably the most pivotal century of progress and growth in the United States ever. We really can’t overlook it. We can’t pretend it didn’t happen. I think Marcel’s buildings really fit nicely into that context.”
Page 16 • April 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
The Creamery Building in Shelburne, designed by Beaudin, showcased in a retrospective show titled, “Decades of Design: Marcel Beaudin,” at Burlington City Arts in 2005.