Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes- 9/12/24

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Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)

Brattleboro, Vermont

Board of Supervisors Meeting

Via Zoom and In-person

Minutes of September 12, 2024

 

Members Present: (In-person & Zoom)

Chair: Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Vice Chair: Patrick Moreland, Brattleboro; Lewis Sumner, Halifax; Stephan Chait, Halifax (alternate); Kate Ullman, Jamaica; Ellen Dudley, Marlboro; Doris Knechtel, Newfane; Dan Toomey, Putney; Jim Damato, Readsboro (alternate); Irvin Stowell, Townshend; Sandra Rulewich, Vernon; Jim Pinkerton, Vermon (alternate); Liz Spector, Wardsboro; Lou Bordeaux, Westminster

Members Absent: Dan Towler, Brookline; Daniel Ballioti, Dover; Hannah Tustin, Guilford; Rickey Harrington, Somerset; Kent Young, Stratton; Merrill Mundell, Wilmington

WSWMD Staff Present: Robert Spencer, Executive Director; Vicki Hayes, Finance Manager & HR Administrator; Peter Gaskill, Programs Coordinator; Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk

Other Guests: None

As a quorum was present Michelle called the meeting to order at 6:06 PM

  1. Roll Call of Members: Anita performed a roll call of members present.

 

  1. Changes or Additions to the Agenda: None

 

  1. Approval of Minutes- August 2024:

Doris made the motion to accept the minutes as written from August 2024, seconded by Patrick, and the motion carried with one abstention.

 

  1. Approval of Check Registers- August 2024:

Patrick made the motion to approve the Check Register for August 2024, seconded by Doris, and the motion carried unanimously.

 

  1. Approval of Financial Statements- August 2024:

Vicki reported that August was once again a successful month, ending with a $59,000 surplus. Revenues exceeded the budget by 5.6%, and the sale of recyclables totaled $6,600, including $3,000 from cardboard sales. HHW fees for the month exceeded $2,000, and 538 access stickers were sold. Additionally, compost sales amounted to $7,300. She mentioned that expenses were 1.5% over budget but attributed this to several factors: $5,000 for contract hauling (which will decrease in September now that WSWMD has a driver), $1,700 for repairs to the Sterling truck, and unforeseen costs to fix the backhoe tires. Vicki emphasized the need to maintain strict expense control, especially with the slower fall months approaching.

Jim made the motion to approve the Financial Statement for August 2024, seconded by Dan Toomey, and the motion carried unanimously.

 

  1. Update on Casella Waste & Recycling Contract for WSWMD Transfer Station:

Bob reported that a contract with Casella Waste Systems, Inc. was signed on 9/11/24 and is in effect retroactive to 9/1/24 for trash, construction & demolition, and single-stream recycling. The contract is for three years with two optional two-year extensions. The highlights of the contract include a tip fee for self-hauling to the Brattleboro transfer station on Vernon Road, as well as a Casella hauling rate, long-term tipping fees with annual escalation (for budget planning and considerations), and a guarantee that WSWMD will receive Casella’s Brattleboro operation’s organics. He also reported that WSWMD incurred about $3,700 for legal fees for contract negotiations and contract review. Bob also indicated that he had told Casella that WSWMD staff could help establish additional commercial food scrap collections. Bob thanked the Executive Board and the other board members who joined the meetings to finalize the Casella contract.

 

  1. Programs Coordinator’s Report:
  • Waste Oil Collection program: Peter reported that he had completed the procedures for collecting waste oil from residents and storing collected oil in the pole barn until it can be poured off in the MRF.
  • Peter reported on a spreadsheet that he was working on that summarizes all seven transfer station towns’ contract rates for trash & recycling with their haulers, as well as start and end dates for contracts. Currently, five towns do not have updated contracts and this may be an opportunity for WSWMD to coordinate one RFP and eventually include the other two towns.
  • Household Hazardous Waste (HHW): Peter informed the board that more people are walking in rather than making appointments. There has been a 15% increase in HHW cars over FY 24, averaging about 14 per Tuesday morning. He also reported that he makes himself available to assist businesses & schools with HHW collection even if they are unavailable on  Tuesdays.

 

  1. Executive Director’s Report:
  • Compost Facility Expansion (CFE): Bob reported that the stormwater permit was in its two-week public comment period, and once that is concluded the Act 250 permit will be issued and the project can start construction. All three contractors are still on board, and over 150 concrete blocks have been delivered for the base of the fabric building. The budget is tight with higher engineering costs than anticipated, mainly due to state permits.
  • Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP): Bob informed the board that WSWMD had received their Energy Audit for the MERP Grant and that over $300,000 had been estimated for making the office building more energy efficient. Anita & Bob had attended a webinar about applying for the funds, and that the application was due on 9/27/24.
  • He reported that the new driver, Brett Comeau, was working out well and that the hauling was going great with some minor truck repairs.
  • Bob interacted with a couple of Brattleboro police officers who were turning in large amounts of needles they had been cleaning up around town. Bob explained the sharps collection program that is in place and that WSWMD bears the cost of recycling them. It was discussed that perhaps the District would bill institutions moving forward if the frequency of needles increased.
  • Bob invited any board members to join Allard Lumber’s 50-year celebration party on October 4th @ 3 PM on Glen Orne Drive. Since Allard Lumber is a neighbor that WSWMD interacts with regularly, Bob will be attending the pig roast and encouraged anyone else to join.
  1. Executive Session (if needed): None
  2. Other Business: Michelle noted the excellent attendance at the meeting, which started at 6 PM because there was no Finance Committee meeting. She suggested having future BOS meetings start at 6 PM instead of 7 PM, and then having the Finance Committee meetings at 5 PM. The BOS and WSWMD staff seemed receptive to this idea, and it will be presented to the Finance Committee meeting on 9/19/24 for consideration.
  1. Next Meeting: Thursday, October 10, 2024 @ 6 or 7 PM- (start time to be determined)
  2. Adjournment: Jim made the motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Patrick, and the meeting adjourned at 7:28 PM.

 

Minutes prepared by,

 

Anita Grant

Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk