Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)
Brattleboro, Vermont
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Via Zoom and In-person
AMENDED & APPROVED Minutes of November 14, 2024
Members Present: (In-person & Zoom)
Chair: Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Vice Chair: Patrick Moreland, Brattleboro; Lewis Sumner, Halifax; Stephan Chait, Halifax (alternate); Carla Meskill, Marlboro (alternate); Doris Knechtel, Newfane; Dan Toomey, Putney; Jim Damato, Readsboro (alternate); Irvin Stowell, Townshend; Sandra Rulewich, Vernon; Liz Spector, Wardsboro; Merrill Mundell, Wilmington
Members Absent: Dan Towler, Brookline; Daniel Ballioti, Dover; Hannah Tustin, Guilford; Kate Ullman, Jamaica; Rickey Harrington, Somerset; Kent Young, Stratton; Lou Bordeaux, Westminster
WSWMD Staff Present: Robert Spencer, Executive Director; Peter Gaskill, Programs Coordinator; Alex Lacy, Outreach Coordinator; Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk
Other Guests: None
As a quorum was present, Michelle called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM
- Roll Call of Members: Anita performed a roll call of members present.
- Changes or Additions to the Agenda: None
- Approval of Minutes- October 2024:
Stephan Chait pointed out that no representative was listed as absent for Dover. Anita will amend the minutes.
Patrick moved to accept the amended minutes from October 2024, seconded by Doris, and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Approval of Check Register- October 2024:
Jim moved to approve the Check Register for October 2024, seconded by Patrick, and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Approval of Financial Statement- October 2024:
Bob reported that October finished with a $32,000 surplus despite the time of year and the unexpected expense of removing the compost tailings that had accumulated on the compost site. Year to date, an unbudgeted amount of $65,000 has been spent to clear the field for the new facility’s construction. He reported $15,000 in compost sales, sales of cardboard at $6,200, and $9,000 in access sticker sales for October, which helped to keep the month profitable.
Jim made the motion to approve the Financial Statement for October 2024, seconded by Patrick, and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Consider Matching Out-of-District Food Scrap Tip Fee to In-District Rate:
The Finance Committee discussed the issue in depth, and Merrill reported to the Board that they were uncomfortable matching the in and out-of-district rates. They concluded that they would give Bob the ability to negotiate a rate to entice new customers to the Compost Facility. They agreed on no less than 10% difference between the in-district and OOD customers. With today’s in-district rate of $75/ton, the negotiated rate cannot be lower than $82.50. This will be reviewed annually at the April fee meeting by the Finance Committee.
Merrill made a motion to allow the Executive Director the discretion to adjust the out-of-district food scrap tip fee to be at least 10% above the in-district fee with a review in April at the fee meeting. Jim seconded and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Approval of FY 26 Budget & Capital Plan:
Michelle explained that the Finance Committee and the WSWMD staff worked hard on the budget over the past two months of meetings and were able to approve a 4% increase in assessments for FY 26. The committee also decided to revamp the ten-year capital plan and reduce it to eight years for more realistic cost projections and invest more in future years. Michelle then explained to the BOS that changes like this could result in higher assessments in the future. The board was very agreeable to the FY 26 Capital Plan changes.
Bob also stated he would be more than willing to attend any town’s Select Board meetings to present the budget and capital plan.
Merrill made the motion to approve the FY 26 Budget & Capital Plan with Revenues of $1,419,058, Expenses of $1,607,934, and Assessments totaling $275,526, pending the public hearing on December 12, 2024. Jim seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) Grant Update:
Bob reported that as of 11/14/24 there was no update on the grant awards, so he did not have anything to report.
- Compost Facility Expansion Update:
Bob reported that five board members attended the optional tour of the completed fabric building. As of October, the project remains on budget. They discovered that the present power poles were not enough for the high-speed internet and computer system needed for the CFE aeration system. The wiring for the pole to be installed by Green Mountain Power was completed by Tyler Electric, and GMP is expected to install a new power pole and transformer within the month. He said that phase one of the CFE should be operational in 30 days.
- Compost Facility Grand Opening Discussion:
A lot of discussion took place, and it was decided that a big Grand Opening would take place in the Spring (before the height of compost season), and it would be promoted via a press release, social media, and website mentions. The board members also agreed that invitees should include the contractors, legislators, town representatives, and the state and federal agencies involved in the project.
- Transfer Station Requests for Proposals (RFPs):
Peter reminded the board that he is still working on streamlining the hauling & disposal contracts for all the transfer stations and recycling towns. A draft RFP has been created and will be given to the towns to issue simultaneously next spring to attract interest from more than one hauler in providing services to the transfer station towns. Peter plans on presenting cost sheet templates to the individual towns and working on this at the beginning of 2025, in anticipation of the next fiscal year in July as a target for some type of agreement or contract.
- Programs Coordinator’s Report:
- Peter reported that the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depot had closed for the season, servicing 281 residents and businesses vs. 207 in 2023. Heritage Environmental was onsite for the final cleanout on 11/5/24. A question was asked about collecting hazardous waste over the winter, but Peter remarked that it cannot remain onsite for any more than 180 days.
- Peter shared a website report Anita generated for him showing the top pages visited on the website. He reported there were 964 unique visitors in October, with 475 using the A-Z Disposal guide. He also informed the board that someone spent a significant amount of time reading the past two years of BOS minutes, which Michelle claimed was her doing.
- Alex Lacy, WSWMD’s Outreach Coordinator was present at the meeting, and Bob introduced her to the board. She reported that she hosted two backyard compost demonstrations in the first two weeks of November, and she is also working with towns on updated signage for transfer stations and conducting school workshops in Newfane & Wardsboro. She is also actively working on the USDA grant for a food scrap drop-off hub within the District. She thanked WSWMD for letting her work alongside her summer job, but now she is freed up to work for WSWMD 30 hours a week.
- Executive Director’s Report:
- Bob reported that the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) collected samples of leaves, wood chips, pizza boxes, and plastic packaging to test for PFAS in the compost feedstocks. Since Vermont does not have established PFAS standards for finished compost, the department is working to test for PFAS and prevent contamination at the source. Additionally, Bob negotiated a confidentiality agreement with the state to protect the site from any negative results.
- Keene State College has resumed food scrap drop-off at WSWMD after a three-year break, delivering 12 tons on November 14, 2024. They were turned away in 2021 due to exceeding the District’s permit capacity being exceeded. Bob aims to secure a long-term contract for ongoing service.
- A help-wanted ad was posted, though there was no immediate opening. Bob wants to create a pool of candidates in case he needs to hire someone, but there has only been one applicant, and they lack relevant experience.
- Bob mentioned that he plans to apply for an EPA grant to fund phase two of the Compost Facility Expansion. He explained that the minimum grant amount available is $500,000, which would fully cover the costs of phase two, and the application is due by December 15, 2024.
- Bob shared the Vernon newsletter, which included a column written by Sandra Rulewich (Vernon BOS representative), regarding hazardous waste. Sandra writes a monthly column that often includes updates on WSWMD news. Bob encouraged all towns with newsletters to reach out to the District.
- Executive Session (if needed): None
- Other Business: None
- Next Meeting: Thursday, December 12, 2024 @ 6 PM (following the FY 26 Budget public hearing @ 5:30 PM)
- Adjournment: Patrick motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Irv, and the meeting adjourned at 7:16 PM.
Minutes prepared by,
Anita Grant
Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk