Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes- 12/11/25 – DRAFT

| Board of Supervisor's Meeting Notices, Agendas & Minutes

Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)

Brattleboro, Vermont

Board of Supervisors Meeting

Via Zoom and In-person

Draft Minutes of December 11, 2025

 

Members Present: (In-person) Chair: Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Vice Chair(interim): Dan Toomey, Putney; Amanda Ellis-Thurber, Brattleboro; Stanley Noga, Jr, Brookline; Kevin Stine, Dover (alternate); Dave Eastman, Guilford; Stephan Chait, Halifax (alternate); Kate Ullman, Jamaica; Doris Knetchel, Newfane; James Damato, Readsboro; Irvin Stowell, Townshend; Jim Pinkerton, Vernon; Liz Spector, Wardsboro; Merrill Mundell, Wilmington

Members Absent: Stephen Dotson, Brattleboro (alternate); Doug Wellman, Brookline (alternate); Dan Baliotti, Dover; Lewis Sumner, Halifax; Jessica Pollack, Jamaica (alternate); Ellen Dudley, Marlboro; Carla Meskill, Marlboro (alternate); Rickey Harrington, Somerset; Kent Young, Stratton; Lou Bordeaux, Westminster

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

Other Guests: None

  1. Roll Call of Supervisors: Anita performed a roll call of supervisors present. (14 towns, 14 supervisors) 
  1. Changes or Additions to the Agenda: None
  1. Approval of Minutes- November 2025:

Dave made the motion to approve the Board of Supervisors minutes from November 2025. Irv seconded, and the motion carried with two (2) abstentions.

  1. Approval of Check Register- November 2025:

Jim Damato made the motion to approve the Check Register of November 2025. Jim Pinkerton seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

 

  1. Approval of Financial Statement- November 2025:

Vicki reported that November finished with a surplus of $47,649.02, and that some of the funds were used for the box repairs. The purchase of the trailer and cart tipper was a capital plan expenditure. She also let the board know that one pesticide grant was received for FY 25, and the budgeted revenue is up 2.4%. Salaries are down 2%, and hauling is up due to the major Sterling repairs.

Jim Damato made the motion to approve the Financial Statement of November 2025, Merrill seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

 

  1. Ratify the FY 27 Budget, Capital Plan & Member Town Assessments:

There were no comments or outside attendees from the public hearing. (Thursday, 12/11/25 @ 5:30 PM).

Jim Damato made the motion to approve the FY 27 Budget, Capital Plan & Member Town Assessments, with Revenues totaling $1,505,309.00, expenses totaling $1,709,517.00, and assessments totaling $294,208.00. Dave seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

 

  1. Sale of Solar Lease by Greenbacker Capital:

Bob reported that, as he and Vicki had inquired about solar REC (renewable energy credit) payments, they were informed that the solar lease had been sold to another company. This is the fourth owner of the solar field since 2018. No additional information was available to report at this time.

 

  1. Mixed Paper Recycling Program Launch:

Peter informed the board that the separation of mixed paper from the regular recycling had started in the first week of December. The box is set up by the glass box, flyers have been handed out, and signage is present. He also reported that Jamaica is diverting mixed paper to the District.

 

  1. Consider Brattleboro’s Request to Increase WSWMD’s Percentage for P.I.L.O.T:

Amanda Ellis-Thurber provided a letter that had been submitted to the board for consideration of raising WSWMD’s P.I.L.O.T (Payment in lieu of taxes) percentage from 5.5% to a higher rate to offset some budgetary concerns. After much discussion, it was agreed that the timing was not ideal for the request as the FY 27 budget had just been accepted and ratified. The board also agreed that it would be a consideration for the FY28 budget season if the request was still warranted.

 

  1. Program Coordinator’s Report:
  • The new cart tipper and trailer are currently being worked on and should be up and running within a month.
  • He and Alex will be visiting Bellows Falls Union High School the week of 12/15, as the school is now part of WSWMD.
  • The 2nd pallet of four full drums of batteries is getting ready to be sent out. The new program is paying WSWMD a rate of $.25/lb. for all batteries recycled.
  • NH Recycles (formerly NRRA) had sent a letter increasing the price per ton for tires recycled from $250 to $310 per ton, effective January 1, 2026. The district will change the price per ton to accommodate the increase in January.

 

  1. Outreach Coordinator’s Report:
  • Alex is working closely with the Guilford Central School on changing their in-school composting to mirror the collection hub requirements. This is being funded by the SCRAPI grant that Guilford received in 2025.
  • The Guilford Central School Composting Pilot Hub will be converted in January to be user-funded for a small fee.
  • There are no plans to pursue any USDA grants in 2026 due to the increased workload in educating Brattleboro residents on the new curbside compost collection with the DPW.
  • Alex showed a rough cut of the USDA long-form video to be used for hub compost collection. The finished video will be available on YouTube, the WSWMD website, and BCTV. The video will show how to set up a collection hub, how to use the hub, and describe best practices.

 

  1. Executive Director’s Report:
  • Bob has responded to the NOAV issued in November and is currently awaiting the outcome of the public hearings on the permit amendment. The chicken mortalities were stopped in October, and hoping to resume by the end of December.
  • Hubbard Breeders, LLC has started bringing eggs to the compost facility in December, adding to the feedstocks. Currently, the facility is accepting food scraps, leaf & yard waste, and wood chips.
  • Bob reported that Jean Bonhotal from Cornell University would be visiting the WSWMD compost facility on Monday, 12/15/25, to assist with the procedures for composting the chicken mortalities. She is an expert on animal composting and is lending her expertise to Bob and Agrilab (designers of the aerated pile system) for future procedures.
  • A contract is currently being worked out between WSWMD and Brattleboro’s DPW for the curbside collection of compost to begin in 2026.
  • He reported that the FY 25 audit had been completed and that Vicki will send it out after her vacation.
  • WSWMD’s staff potluck party will be on December 21 at 12 pm. The facility will be closing at noon on Christmas Eve, closed on Christmas Day, and reopening on Friday at 7 AM.

 

  1. Executive Session (if needed): N/A 
  1. Other Business: Kevin Stine, Dover’s alternate representative, has relocated to Virginia and announced his resignation from the WSWMD Board of Supervisors. The Board and employees wished him well and thanked him for his service. 
  1. Next Meeting: Thursday, January 8, 2026 @ 6 PM
  1. Adjournment: Jim D made the motion to adjourn at 7:53 PM.

 

Minutes prepared by,

 

Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk