Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)
Brattleboro, Vermont
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Via Zoom* and In-person
Draft Minutes of May 8, 2025
Members Present: (In-person)
Chair: Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Vice Chair(interim): Dan Toomey, Putney; Stanley Noga, Jr, Brookline; Dave Eastman, Guilford; Kevin Stine, Dover (alternate); Dan Toomey, Putney; Jim Damato, Readsboro; Irvin Stowell, Townshend; Sandra Rulewich, Vernon;); Liz Spector, Wardsboro; Lou Bordeaux, Westminster; Merrill Mundell, Wilmington
Members Absent: Amanda Ellis-Thurber, Brattleboro; Stephen Dotson, Brattleboro (alternate) (per Bob Spencer); Doug Wellman, Brookline (alternate); Dan Baliotti, Dover; Stephan Chait, Halifax (alternate); Doris Knetchel, Newfane Lewis Sumner, Halifax; Kate Ullman, Jamaica; Jessica Pollack, Jamaica (alternate); Ellen Dudley, Marlboro; Carla Meskill, Marlboro (alternate); Jim Pinkerton, Vernon (alternate); Rickey Harrington, Somerset; Kent Young, Stratton
WSWMD Staff Present: Robert Spencer, Executive Director; Vicki Hayes, Finance Manager & HR Administrator; Alex Lacy, Outreach Coordinator; Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk
Other Guests: Brian Jerose, Agrilab
*Due to an internet outage, the meeting was not available on Zoom. The other BOS members were notified via email at 4 PM, as the internet had not yet been repaired. As a quorum was present, Michelle called the meeting to order early at 4:55 PM.
- Roll Call of Supervisors: Anita performed a roll call of supervisors present. (11 towns, 11 supervisors)
- Changes or Additions to the Agenda: Bob asked Alex Lacy to furnish her Outreach Coordinator’s Report (first on the agenda) since she was on-site but not on the agenda. The VORS (Vermont Organics Recycling Summit) Recap was also moved up to #4.
- Outreach Coordinator’s Report:
- Alex reported that she had been working with the Academy School in Brattleboro to improve their purchasing of compostable products.
- The Guilford Central School in Guilford, VT, has been awarded a $3,500 grant to improve source separation and will pay Alex a stipend for her time performing education and outreach.
- She made a brief presentation about the USDA-funded pilot program for the food scrap drop-off hub that will be starting up at the Guilford Central School in May. They volunteered to host the hub for residents, school staff, and their families to participate in. She outlined the program and how the setup mirrored other successful food scrap hubs located in other states.
- Alex hosted two successful backyard composting workshops in April. Tom Gieder, a wildlife specialist from the USDA, was on hand for the first workshop to discuss best practices for keeping bears out of the compost pile. She thanked the board members present that attended her workshops.
- She held a recycling roundtable discussion in Halifax, VT, at the Halifax Community Center, teaching residents about different recycling programs and how to avoid contaminating recyclables. The residents were very engaged and excited to participate.
- Alex explained about the CAV (Compost Association of Vermont) fundraiser that she will be participating in and encouraged the board members to donate to the cause. She and Bob are CAV board members and were very involved in the creation of the Vermont Organics Recycling Summit (VORS).
- Vermont Organics Recycling Summit (VORS) Recap:
Bob gave a brief overview of the VORS summit and how the Compost Association of VT (CAV) initially started the summit. Bob and Alex attended on behalf of WSWMD. Bob and Brian Jerose of Agrilab Technologies both presented about WSWMD’s new compost facility expansion. Dave Eastman, Liz Spector, and Dan Toomey all attended the summit and had very positive reports regarding the seminars, the motivational speakers, and the vast array of vendors and equipment available.
- Designate Finance Committee Chair & Members (FC Member Vote Only):
Michelle made a motion to re-elect Merrill Mundell as the Finance Committee Chair, Liz seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Designate Policy & Personnel Committee Chair & Members (P&P Member Vote Only):
Jim made a motion to re-elect Dan Toomey as the Policy & Personnel Committee Chair, Michelle seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Approval of Board of Supervisor Meeting Minutes- April 2025:
Jim made a motion to approve the Board of Supervisors minutes from April 2025 as written, Merrill seconded, and the motion carried with four (4) abstentions.
- Approval of Check Register- April 2025:
Jim made a motion to approve the April 2025 Check Register, Dan seconded, and the motion was approved unanimously.
- Approval of Financial Statement- April 2025:
Vicki reported that the District finished April with a deficit of $92,000. Although increased tip fees and compost sales helped revenue finish 8% above budget, the expenses are also up 9% over budget. Compost sales were strong at $17,800 for April, and tip fees were about $70,000. Vicki is hopeful that the quarterly RECs (renewable energy credits) from Greenbacker and access sticker sales will help offset the continuing deficit by the end of the fiscal year.
Jim made a motion to approve the Financial Statement from April 2025, Merrill seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Annual Review & Approval of FY 26 WSWMD Transfer Station Fees:
Bob reviewed the proposed increases to FY 26 fees, and summarized as follows: adding vaping devices for $3/each; fluorescent tubes from $.25/foot to $.35/foot; Household Hazardous Waste fees from $10 to $15 per 5-gallon load; 3/8” screened compost to be priced at $50/cubic yard, $12 per 30lb. bag, and a $75 supersack (for distributor purchase) plus a $25 refundable deposit on the sack itself. There was a lot of discussion on the background of the increases, and Vicki reported that she felt comfortable leaving the majority of the fees untouched. The board thanked the staff for their work on the fee schedule.
Jim made a motion to approve the recommended WSWMD Transfer Station FY 26 fee increases as submitted, Lou seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Executive Director’s Report:
- Bob discussed how Casella rejected a cardboard load, due to Styrofoam and other contaminants being baled along with it. Casella recently purchased the broker (Save That Stuff, Charlestown, MA) that Bob had just signed a three-year contract with.
- Bob emphasized the mattress recycling Requests for Bids (RFBs) that were sent to various mattress recyclers, including Casella, and that the proposals are due back by 5/16/2025.
- Bob also noted that Casella is disputing the District’s right to divert mattresses from their facility. He also shared that WSWMD’s attorney, Dave Mears, had reviewed the contract terms related to mattresses and noted that they could be interpreted in multiple ways.
- He reported that six towns have been working on drafting and releasing RFBs for recycling & transfer station services. This is an attempt by some of the interested member towns to have more than one company bid on transfer station and drop-off recycling services, and the proposals are due 6/3/25.
- He reported that the Household Hazardous Waste Depot (HHW) would be reopening on Tuesday, 5/13/25, at 8:30 AM.
- Bob indicated that he met with Brattleboro representatives informally regarding their curbside contract. He also reported to the board that Amanda Ellis-Thurber would be the main WSWMD BOS representative for Brattleboro, and Stephen Dotson would be the alternate.
- Bob let the board know that he would be on vacation during the June meeting and would pass along any time-sensitive information to be addressed at the meeting in his absence.
- Executive Session (if needed): N/A
- Other Business: None
- Next Meeting: June 12, 2025 @ 6 PM
- Adjournment: Jim motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Liz, and the meeting adjourned at 6:24 PM.
Minutes prepared by,
Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk