Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes- 5/14/26- 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 May 14, 2026

 

Members Present: (In person & Zoom)

Chair: Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Vice Chair (interim): Dan Toomey, Putney; Sue Bellville, Brattleboro; Stanley Noga, Jr, Brookline; Dave Eastman, Guilford; Stephan Chait, Halifax; Kate Ullman, Jamaica; Doris Knetchel, Newfane; Irvin Stowell, Townshend; Liz Spector, Wardsboro; Merrill Mundell, Wilmington

Members Absent: Stephen Dotson, Brattleboro (alternate); Doug Wellman, Brookline (alternate); Dan Baliotti, Dover; Jessica Pollack, Jamaica (alternate); Ellen Dudley, Marlboro; Carla Meskill, Marlboro (alternate); James Damato, Readsboro; Rickey Harrington, Somerset; Kent Young, Stratton; Jim Pinkerton, Vernon; Westminster-VACANT

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

WSWMD Staff Absent: Robert Spencer, Executive Director

Michelle called the meeting to order at 6:08 PM

Other Guests: None

  1. Roll Call of Supervisors: Anita performed a roll call of supervisors present. (11 towns, 11 supervisors)

 

  1. Changes or Additions to the Agenda: Michelle announced that the WSWMD Compost Facility is receiving an Engineering Excellence Award (EEA) from the American Council of Engineering Companies. The award ceremony will be June 4, 2026, at Champlain College in Burlington, VT. The ACEC will recognize Sanborn Head, WSWMD’s engineering firm, for its design of the compost facility.
  2. Approval of Minutes- April 2026:

Doris Knechtel made the motion to approve the Board of Supervisor minutes from April 2026, Dan Toomey seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

 

  1. Approval of Check Register- April 2026:

Irv Stowell made the motion to approve the Check Register of April 2026, Merrill Mundell seconded, and the motion passed with one abstention.

 

  1. Approval of Financial Statement- April 2026:

Vicki provided a summary of the April 2026 financial statement in advance of the BOS meeting. Supervisors expressed support for receiving the summary in advance, and Vicki will continue this practice going forward. The District ended April with a $12,000 deficit while awaiting payment for prior-quarter solar renewable energy credits (RECs).

Dave Eastman made the motion to approve the Financial Statement of April 2026, Dan Toomey seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

 

  1. Review & Approve the Proposed 27 Transfer Station Fees:

Following discussion, it was agreed that a second sticker option would not be offered in FY27 and that the per-bag charge would be replaced with a minimum weight charge. All other proposed fee adjustments were accepted as presented.

Merrill Mundell made the motion to approve the Proposed FY 27 Transfer Station fees as presented to be effective on July 1, 2026. Stanley Noga, Jr. seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

 

  1. Program Coordinator’s Report:

Peter provided the following updates:

  • The HHW Depot opened on Tuesday, 5/12/26. It was well attended and ran efficiently. He noted that the size of the loads has been decreasing. He also reiterated that the appointment process is working much better and is now mandatory.
  • The next safety meeting in a couple of weeks will focus on yard safety and painting projects.
  • Two representatives from USA Waste visited the facility. Goodenough Rubbish and Franklin & Sons will continue operating as usual for the time being. Peter also mentioned the possibility of touring their MRF in CT, where they process 500 tons of recycling daily.
  • The Wilmington transfer station will be added to the compost collection route in July 2026. It won’t negatively affect the existing route, as Dover is included as well.
  • The transfer station survey is currently being distributed and is also available through a live link on the website. He will compile the results and report back to the board in the fall.
  • Peter attended a meeting in Dover with the road foremen from southern VT towns to discuss the disaster debris plan as part of the SWIP requirement.
  • He also discussed potential changes to the transfer station layout, with the goal of improving traffic flow and overall yard efficiency.
  1. Outreach Coordinator’s Report:

Alex provided the following updates:

  • She visited the Dover & Readsboro transfer stations and will provide improved recycling signage to assist with Casella’s change from a dual-stream system to a single-stream system.
  • She and Bob visited the Wilmington transfer station and noted that some improvements are needed within their current food scrap drop-off system.
  • Two compost workshops were held this past week at the WSWMD demonstration area. Alex discussed her interest in conducting workshops at other facilities as well.
  • The “Where is Away” school presentation was shown to the 5th & 6th grade students at the Halifax elementary school. She also feels that the school would be a candidate for next year’s SCRAPI (School Compost & Recycling Action Plan Institute) grant.
  • She and Bob are currently working on developing the contamination percentage of the organic waste collected from Brattleboro curbside loads. The main contaminants were milk cartons and non-compostable bags. Sue expressed educating the residents about a cleaner stream and providing guidance on compostable bags.
  • She explained that the Guilford compost drop-off will most likely be discontinued because the location is not centralized and participation is too low to sustain it. The video being developed for this pilot project is nearly complete and could still be used for other small drop-off sites.
  • She will be collaborating with a local artist to create a visual art installation at the transfer station. They have decided on an 8’ x 24’ banner made of biodegradable and compostable plastic film that will spell out “Where is Away?” and naturally degrade to reveal additional images behind it. The placement will be determined during the redesign of the transfer station this fall.
  • Doris recommended that Alex speak at the senior luncheons held in Newfane on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Irv also mentioned the Dummerston luncheons, which are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Alex asked about potential topics to discuss and added to the mailing list for upcoming events.
  • Stephan Chait also mentioned that it would be wise to add the volume weight of the compost bags in the retail store. Alex is going to investigate it. Anita suggested putting it on the sign first and incorporating it into the label in the future as a temporary workaround.
  1. Executive Session (if needed): N/A
  1. Other Business:
  • Michelle recommended to everyone present to check out the documentary on Netflix, “The Plastic Detox”.
  • Dan Toomey asked about Policy & Personnel Committee strategies for meeting with WSWMD staff. It was determined that updating the Board of Supervisors manual should take priority over job descriptions and policy amendments.

 

  1. Next Meeting: Thursday, June 11, 2026 @ 6 PM
  1. Adjournment: Dave Eastman made the motion to adjourn at 7:37 PM. 

Minutes prepared by,

  Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk