Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)
Brattleboro, Vermont
Finance Committee Meeting
Via Zoom and In-Person
Approved Minutes of March 14, 2024
Committee Members Present: Committee Chair-Merrill Mundell, Wilmington; Patrick Moreland, Brattleboro; Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston
Additional Board Members Present: Sandra Rulewich, Vernon
Committee Members Absent: James Damato, Readsboro Alternate
WSWMD Staff Present: Robert Spencer, Executive Director; Peter Gaskill, Programs Coordinator; Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk
Others Present: None
Merrill called the meeting to order at 6:09 PM
- Changes and/or Additions to the Agenda: None
- Approval of Minutes- January 2024: (No February meeting)
Patrick made the motion to accept the minutes as written, Merrill seconded, and the motion was carried.
- Review of Check Registers- January & February 2024:
Merrill made the motion to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the check registers for January & February 2024, Patrick seconded, and the motion was carried.
- Review of Financial Statements- January & February 2024:
Bob reported that although the District was carrying an $88,000 deficit through February, solar renewable energy credits (RECs) are pending for $42,000 and SWIP grant money for $38,000 would cover most of the deficit moving forward since RECs are back on track and revenues are increasing. He also indicated that cardboard rates had been consistently increasing and were $128/ton for March. He also confirmed that all five (5) compost distributors would be returning this year and had already started picking up compost.
He also let the committee know that a 40-yard roll-off was purchased that was in the capital plan.
Michelle made the motion to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the financials for January & February 2024, Merrill seconded, and the motion was carried.
- Update on Compost Facility Expansion (CFE):
Bob reported that a new Request for Bids (RFB) went out on Monday with a two-phase version of the expansion. After the January bids came in too high, the project was broken into two phases. The first phase is three separate bids for a fabric building, an aeration system, and scaled-back site work. The bids are due back by 4/10/24, and he is hoping to have a viable bid for the BOS to review at the April meeting. The tentative plan is to break ground in the Spring and hopefully complete the first phase by Fall. The second phase would require additional grant funds.
A lot of discussion took place regarding bids coming back too high once again and rather than abandoning the project, Bob would research other ways to make it happen. In-house financing is an option and Bob said he would review the charter requirements for indebtedness in case that route had to be taken. It was also proposed that the entire project could be put on hold for a year or so to acquire more financing.
- Executive Session (if needed): None
- Other Business:
- Next Meeting: Thursday, April 11, 2024 @ 6 PM
- Adjournment: 6:54 PM
Minutes prepared by:
Anita Grant
Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk