Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)
Brattleboro, Vermont
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Via Zoom and In-person
Amended & Approved Minutes of March 14, 2024
Members Present: (In-person & Zoom)
Chair: Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Vice Chair: Patrick Moreland, Brattleboro, Dan Towler, Brookline; Kevin Stine, Dover (alternate); Stephan Chait, Halifax (alternate); Doris Knechtel, Newfane; Dan Toomey, Putney; Irvin Stowell, Townshend; Sandra Rulewich, Vernon; Merrill Mundell, Wilmington
Members Absent: Michael Becker, Guilford; Lewis Sumner, Halifax; Jessica Pollack, Jamaica; Stillman Vonderhorst, Marlboro; Rickey Harrington, Somerset; Kent Young, Stratton; Wardsboro: Vacant, Westminster: Lou Bordeaux
WSWMD Staff Present: Robert Spencer, Executive Director; 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 7:01 PM
- Roll Call of Members: Anita notified the Board that the Westminster select board formally appointed Lou Bordeaux, Town Manager, to be their WSWMD BOS Representative. She then performed a roll call of members present.
- Introductions of New Staff Members- Peter Gaskill, Programs Coordinator & Alex Lacy, Outreach Coordinator:
Bob introduced Peter Gaskill as the new Programs Coordinator, and Alex Lacy as the new Outreach Coordinator. Alex was already a temporary, part-time worker who assumed the permanent part-time Outreach Coordinator position. Peter joined WSWMD from Casella/Triple T in Vernon, to be the new permanent part-time Programs Coordinator. Bob informed the Board that he issued a press release, and it was printed in the Brattleboro Reformer and the Deerfield Valley News. The Board was happy that the positions were no longer vacant, graciously welcomed Peter aboard, and hoped to see Alex at a future board meeting.
- Changes or Additions to the Agenda: None
- Approval of Minutes- January 2024 (No meeting in February):
Merrill made the motion to accept the minutes as written from January 2024, seconded by Doris and the motion carried.
- Approval of Check Registers- January & February 2024:
Stephan asked about the multiple payments made to Suburban Propane. Anita informed Stephan that there are three separate accounts, two for heat and one for the forklift fuel. A discussion then took place about the integrity of the underground tanks and transferring ownership to the District to find their own supplier. This was a project started last Spring by the previous Yard Foreman and Bob wants to investigate options to have the tanks evaluated and/or own or replace them.
Merrill made the motion to approve the Check Registers for January & February 2024, seconded by Kevin and the motion carried.
- Approval of Financial Statements- January & February 2024:
Bob reported to the board that despite the $88,000 deficit showing at the end of February, the deficit would be reduced significantly by the $38,000 in SWIP grant money and $42,000 in solar renewable energy credits. He also informed the board that the tipping fees were increasing and that compost sales would help the bottom line. He indicated that tight expense control had to continue to ensure that the District finishes without a deficit.
Patrick made the motion to approve the Financial Statements for January & February 2024, seconded by Doris and the motion carried.
- Add BOS Representatives to the Finance Committee for April Appointments:
Sandra Rulewich, the Vernon representative, came forward and volunteered for the Finance Committee and will be appointed to the committee at the April reorganization meeting.
- Update on Compost Facility Expansion (CFE):
Bob reported that a new Request for Bids (RFB) went out on Monday with a two-phase version of the expansion after the January bids came in too high. The bids are due back by 4/10/24, and the plan would be to break ground in the Spring and hopefully complete the first phase by October. The second phase would require additional grant funds. A lot of discussion took place regarding bids coming back too high once again and rather than abandoning the project, Bob would research other ways to make it happen, whether it be in-house financing or other grants. It was also proposed that the project may have to be put on hold for a year or so to acquire more financing.
Bob also reported that all legal action concerning the surface rights had been concluded and that three quit claim deeds had been filed.
- Discuss Member Town Transfer Station’s Hauling Contracts-Kevin Stine, Dover:
Kevin Stine presented the scenario taking place at the Dover Transfer Station since Casella changed out their 2-yard dumpster for carts for food scrap collection. Residents are concerned about the changes in the acceptable items in the food scrap bins, as well as the fact that the new toters are not bear-proof. He is also concerned that the small carts require more hauling by Casella, or that the contaminated carts are becoming landfill trash.
Bob and Peter reported that they are reviewing the transfer station contracts and that a solution may be to hire a single hauler to collect food scraps at all seven town transfer stations and bring them to WSWMD. Bob is currently working on an RFP (Request for Proposals) for outside haulers but could not provide an immediate solution for Dover at this time.
- Programs Coordinator’s Report:
- Peter thanked the board and the District staff for the warm welcome to the District, and that he was glad to be a part of WSWMD.
- He informed the board that he took his 24-hour Hazwoper course to take over running the Hazardous Waste Depot. The HHW Depot will reopen on Tuesday, May 14th.
- He accompanied Alex on a school outreach in Brattleboro and presented the “Where is Away” workshops simultaneously to sixth graders from the Green Street and Oak Grove School.
- Peter is currently working on the Pesticides Grant reimbursement for CY 2023.
- He reported that Alex had visited all the District’s town offices working on the USDA grant and is utilizing libraries as the point of contact for reaching out to residents for future in-person workshops.
- Peter indicated that his work week will be Monday through Wednesday, and every other Thursday morning and would be accessible at extension 118.
- Executive Director’s Report:
- Bob reported that cardboard has been increasing steadily over the past ten months and was up to $128/ton for March and that we receive loads of commercial cardboard from Casella & Goodenough.
- There are over 1,000 yards of screened compost available to start the Spring sales. He confirmed all five distributors are still on board, and that he was finalizing print ads to promote the distributors and the compost.
- Bob responded to the VT DEC’s Notice of Alleged Violation (NOAV) within 14 days by scrapping the trailer that housed the oil pour-off and the diesel tank. He had the oil pour-off relocated to inside the MRF, and the fuel tank behind the MRF building.
- Bob started a pilot program at the Dover Transfer Station to divert their cardboard to WSWMD. The District lent a roll-off and delivered it for free to evaluate the tonnage of cardboard that would be collected from the transfer station. Kevin Stine had inquired about lowering their recycling costs with Casella, and if the program is successful and makes financial sense for those involved, the town would have to pay for the rental of the roll-off and the hauling fee.
- Executive Session (if needed)
- Other Business: None
- Next Meeting: Thursday, April 11, 2024 @ 7 PM
- Adjournment: Parick made the motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Merrill, and the meeting adjourned at 8:14 PM.
Minutes prepared by,
Anita Grant
Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk