Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)
Brattleboro, Vermont
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Via Zoom and In-person
Minutes of August 14, 2025
Members Present: Acting Chair: Merrill Mundell, Wilmington; Vice Chair (interim): Dan Toomey, Putney; Amanda Ellis-Thurber, Brattleboro; Stanley Noga, Jr, Brookline; Dave Eastman, Guilford; Kevin Stine, Dover (alternate); Stephan Chait, Halifax (alternate); Doris Knetchel, Newfane; Sandra Rulewich, Vernon; Liz Spector, Wardsboro; Lou Bordeaux, Westminster
Members Absent: Chair: Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Stephen Dotson, Brattleboro (alternate) Doug Wellman, Brookline (alternate); Dan Baliotti, Dover; Lewis Sumner, Halifax; Kate Ullman, Jamaica; Jessica Pollack, Jamaica (alternate); Ellen Dudley, Marlboro; Carla Meskill, Marlboro (alternate); Jim Damato, Readsboro; Irvin Stowell, Townshend; Rickey Harrington, Somerset; Kent Young, Stratton; Jim Pinkerton, Vernon (alternate)
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: Christopher Malcolm & Charlotte Boisclair of Hubbard Breeders, LLC
As a quorum was present, Merrill called the meeting to order at 6:02 PM.
- Roll Call of Supervisors: Anita performed a roll call of supervisors present. (11 towns, 11 supervisors)
- Changes or Additions to the Agenda: None
- Presentation: Hubbard, LLC (Chicken Composting) Chris Malcolm & Charlotte Boisclair:
Chris and Charlotte of Hubbard Breeders, LLC, gave a video presentation and answered many questions about their breeding processes, biosecurity, and overall operations. Bob reported that the chicken bedding and the chicken mortalities are both tremendous feedstocks for the compost facility and would like to continue to receive them. Moving forward, both Hubbard and WSWMD intend to formalize future business dealings through a written contract. Bob also reported that Vermont DEC staff recently raised a question about how to classify the chickens as it relates to the composting permit. Bob will attempt to have the decision be favorable for continuing to process the chicken mortalities.
- Approval of Minutes- June 2025:
Doris motioned to approve the minutes from June 2025, Dave seconded, and the motion carried with one abstention.
- Approval of Check Registers- June & July 2025:
Liz motioned to approve the Check Registers from June & July 2025, Dan seconded, and the motion carried.
- Approval of Financial Statements- June & July 2025:
June 2025: Vicki reported that the District finished with a deficit of $41,113.63. Revenues finished 36.9% over plan, including the $340,025 received in grant money for the Compost Facility Expansion. Expenses were 9.5% over budget due to the unforeseen disposal of compost tailings associated with the CFE. Without CFE costs and grant revenues, FY 25 would have ended with a surplus of $145,605.44. Vicki also reported that the auditors were currently performing the FY 25 audit and that the solar RECs paid in July may be moved back to June, which may change the end-of-year deficit to a minor surplus, and she would update the Board at the next meeting.
July 2025: Vicki reported that July finished strong with a $57,000 surplus. She reported strong revenues over $190,000, $82,000 in tip fees, $3,000 in compost sales, and 691 access stickers sold in the month of July. Through the 3 months of FY26 access sticker sales, 1,800 stickers have already been sold.
Vicki assured the Board that the cellphone stipend was paid annually to the employees for use of personal cellphones rather than supplying District phones or two-way radios.
A question was asked about credit card fees, and Vicki explained that they were credit card processing fees that were imposed on the credit card users at 3% of the transaction total.
Dave made the motion to approve both June and July 2025 Financials as presented, Doris seconded, and the motion carried.
- Approval of HVAC Upgrade Quote to Office Building:
Anita gave some background to the difficulty of finding a contractor through Efficiency VT to upgrade the heating and air conditioning in the office building. After some time, she managed to find an HVAC company, S3 Heating from Hinsdale, NH, that was willing to do the upgrades for $41,237 using electric heat pumps, keeping the ducted propane setup as a backup heat source. Bob explained the history of poor heating and AC, regardless of the money spent to keep the system running. There was not much discussion, but everyone agreed that something needed to be done sooner rather than later. Vicki reported that she had $32,000 earmarked for building upgrades and other money in facilities that could be allocated to HVAC costs.
Lou motioned to approve the HVAC Upgrade Quote, Doris seconded, and the motion carried.
- Approval to Purchase Scale-It Software for Scale Upgrade:
Anita gave a brief overview of the newly proposed software that would be installed and integrated into the scale house for a live date of October 1. The software price of $5,600 includes training, installation, purchase of software, and an unlimited number of users. This would be an annual fee that has no escalation. Anita explained how she had compared a few different software companies, and this one would be the easiest to implement and use. She also reiterated that there would be a $200 monthly savings as the new software included integrated credit card processing.
Lou motioned to approve the purchase of the Scale-It software, Liz seconded, and the motion carried.
- New Compost Collection Program Update:
Bob updated the Board on the new Compost Collection Program (CCP), reporting that Quincy Hope, a part-time WSWMD employee, has been primarily responsible for the CCP route. Bob rode with Quincy to document the time and process and take photos. The route takes about three hours and collected approximately 1,300 pounds of food scraps last week. Alex played a video showing the pickup at all three transfer stations (Jamaica, Townshend, and Dover) as well as the Guilford Central School Compost Hub Pilot. Bob also explained that he worked with our attorney, David Mears, to draft a simple contract that would be signed by the participating towns, and any town or school joining in the future. A spreadsheet was provided detailing the charges to each town and expenses of the program, which showed potential revenue and the positive impact of the program on each member town’s assessment.
- 2026-2030 Solid Waste Implementation Plan (SWIP) Renewal:
Bob gave a brief history of the state’s required Solid Waste Implementation Plan (SWIP) and how a new plan must be developed and submitted every five years. He reported that there are three weeks of public notices (currently ongoing), and that a public hearing will be held on Monday, August 25th, @ 1 PM. This is followed by another three weeks of public notices and a second hearing date (TBD). Once the two hearings are completed, the final SWIP will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for final approval. A copy of the draft SWIP is available on the windhamsolidwaste.org website. Vicki explained that the SWIP money is usually used to fund the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and the award is just under $39.000 each fiscal year.
- Outreach Coordinator’s Report:
- Alex gave a brief overview of the Guilford Central School Hub Pilot. She reported that it had been highlighted in the Guilford Gazette newsletter and that she had hoped the town would vote to keep the hub once the grant was completed. Although the town will not fund the hub, she would like to find a way to have it resident-funded. She reported that the hub currently has over thirty users and has so far collected over 900 lbs.
- She attended and performed source-separation at the Community Connections Night in Harmony Parking Lot in Brattleboro, assisting the police department with their event.
- She talked about the SCRAPI grant that Guilford Central School was awarded by the state of VT. They have received $3,500 for source-separation which Alex would be employed to participate. She reported that T.O.L.D. (trash on the lawn day) would be performed at the beginning and the end of the school year as she worked with the students on the identification of trash, recyclables, and compostable items.
- She asked for ideas on her Front Porch Forum posts and reported that her last one was about event bins. She wanted to remind residents and Board members that event bins were available to borrow for free by WSWMD for both private and public functions.
- Alex partnered with WVEW 107.7 FM for WSWMD to become an underwriter. The ad will play once a day for 365 days for $365. Alex had recorded her voice with the ad “flow,” and the radio station decided to use her ad and not rerecord it.
- She reported that she continues to do business outreach and has met with the Putney Food Co-op, Four Columns Inn, Green River Bridge Inn, and consulted with the owner of the Scott Farm on a good system for source separation. After visiting the Scott Farm, the signage had been updated, and a great system is in place.
- She also reported that she had been working with the owners of the Crossroads Food Trailer to replace their Styrofoam take-out containers with BPI compostable containers.
- Executive Director’s Report:
- Bob reported that there was a time crunch to finish up the USDA grant paperwork and that he, Peter, and Alex would be working on the grant almost full-time over the next six weeks. There are no more extensions available on the grant; however, there was still work to do with businesses, transfer stations, and schools.
- He also reported that the main scale master was ill, and that Kimberly Wilkins, a former driver for WSWMD, was hired as a part-time scale attendant and would be starting her training next week.
- Executive Session: (if needed): None
- Other Business: Dan Toomey offered to assist Peter Gaskill with the revised Transfer Station Operator Manual.
- Next Meeting: September 11, 2025 @ 6 PM
- Adjournment: Doris motioned to adjourn the meeting, Lou seconded, and the meeting adjourned at 8:13 PM.
Minutes prepared by,
Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk