Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)
Finance Committee Meeting
Via ZOOM and In-Person @ 327 Old Ferry Rd, Brattleboro, VT
DRAFT Minutes of June 13, 2024
Committee Members Present: Committee Chair-Merrill Mundell, Wilmington; Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Jim Damato, Readsboro (alternate); Sandra Rulewich, Vernon; Liz Spector, Wardsboro
Additional Board Members Present: None
Committee Members Absent: Patrick Moreland, Brattleboro
WSWMD Staff Present: Robert Spencer, Executive Director; Vicki Hayes, Finance Manager & HR Administrator; Peter Gaskill, Programs Coordinator; Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison, District Clerk
Others Present: None
Merrill called the meeting to order at 6:06 PM
- Changes and/or Additions to the Agenda: None
- Approval of Minutes- May 2024:
Jim made the motion to accept the minutes as written, Michelle seconded, and the motion was carried.
- Review of Check Registers- May 2024:
Merrill asked about the multiple checks at the end of May for Casella, Anita explained that the online portal was down, and invoices were all paid by individual checks for the three weeks at the end of the month.
Jim made the motion to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the check register for May 2024, Michelle seconded, and the motion was carried.
- Review of Financial Statements- May 2024:
Vicki happily reported that May finished in the black with an $8,367.58 surplus.
Highlights included:
- Revenues are up 6% ahead of budget, and expenses are still steady at 4% over budget
- Despite the decrease in cardboard loads, WSWMD made $5,700 in sales for May
- 479 access stickers for FY25 (sales start May 1) totaled $28,740
- HHW Collections for May totaled over $900
- Steve Horton Consulting $5,000 bill was offset by a grant from BDCC (Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation)
- Hauling was only $375 due to Kimberly hauling most of the loads in April
- Single-stream disposal costs were down due to a $4,200 rebate paid by Casella for overcharging on recycling costs
- Solar RECs will be $19,000 and despite the transformer failure last summer, the RECs would total $120,000
Liz made the motion to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the financials for May 2024, Michelle seconded, and the motion was carried.
- Review Trash & Recycling Options for WSWMD Transfer Station:
Peter led the discussion by introducing the table prepared for the Finance Committee showing the differences in hauling and disposal costs proposed by Casella, Ruggiero, Valley Trucking, and self-hauling by WSWMD to the Keene transfer station as well as to USA Transfer station in Hadley, MA. Bob & Peter hope to formally propose to the Board of Supervisors in August.
Once all options were on the table, Bob & Peter determined that self-hauling would be the least expensive option and were entertaining hiring another part-time driver, leaving Kimberly as the backup driver, or hiring a full-time driver who would also work in the transfer station. Vicki informed the committee that the FY 25 budget could cover a full-time driver. Bob assured the committee that the help wanted ad was scheduled for the week of 6/17/24.
- Executive Session: None
- Next Meeting: Thursday, August 8 @ 6 PM
- Other Business: None
- Adjournment: 6:40 PM
Minutes prepared by:
Anita Grant
Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk