Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD)
Brattleboro, Vermont
Finance Committee Meeting
Via ZOOM and In-Person
DRAFT Minutes of November 14, 2024
Committee Members Present: Committee Chair-Merrill Mundell, Wilmington; Patrick Moreland, Brattleboro; Michelle Cherrier, Dummerston; Jim Damato, Readsboro; Sandra Rulewich, Vernon
Committee Members Absent: Liz Spector, Wardsboro
WSWMD Staff Present: Robert Spencer, Executive Director; Peter Gaskill, Programs Coordinator; Anita Grant, Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk
Merrill called the meeting to order at 5:01 PM
- Changes and/or Additions to the Agenda: None
- Approval of Minutes- October 10, 2024:
Jim motioned to approve the October 10, 2024, minutes as written, Michelle seconded, and the motion was carried with one abstention.
- Review of Check Register- October 2024:
There was a brief discussion about the water and sewer bill. Bob clarified that it included the use of the power washer, the high-output hose, and regular operating conditions. Michelle requested more timely employee reimbursements, as one had fallen into the next fiscal year. Anita clarified that she had already advised the employee correctly for future reimbursements. Michelle praised the detailed breakdown of CFE expenses and expressed her gratitude for providing that information.
Jim motioned to recommend to the Board of Supervisors to approve the October check register, Michelle seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Review of Financial Statement- October 2024:
Bob reported that October showed cardboard sales of $6,200 but cautioned that the per-ton price has been consistently falling over the past few months and is currently at $98/ton for November. There were 150 access stickers sold in October, and compost sales were strong at $15,000. Through October, the District is 9% ahead of budgeted revenues. He also discussed the unbudgeted removal of compost tailings, which led to October’s expenses exceeding the budget by 7%, with 5% of that caused by the $65,000 spent year to date. Despite the increased expense, the month finished with a surplus of $32,135.84.
Jim motioned to recommend to the Board of Supervisors to approve the October Financial Statement, Patrick seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Consider Matching Out-of-District Food Scrap Tip Fee to In-District Rate:
Bob explained that he would like to entice new commercial customers to drop off food scraps for the new facility. He explained that the customers may be in NH and/or MA and wanted to have some leeway in the current pricing structure, to make it more attractive to potential customers.
After much discussion, it was determined that there needed to be a difference between the in and out-of-district tip fees as the towns have been buying into the compost facility. The committee decided that Bob should have the ability to negotiate with out-of-district customers, however, not to be any lower than 10% above the in-district fee. At the current rate of $90.00 for out-of-district rate, that means that the tip fee cannot be any lower than $82.50.
Jim made a motion to recommend to the Board of Supervisors to give the Executive Director the discretion to adjust the out-of-district food scrap tip fee to be at least 10% above the in-district fee with a review in April at the fee meeting. Patrick seconded and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Approval of FY 26 Budget & Capital Plan:
After reviewing the proposed Capital Plan, the committee requested that the date at the top be changed from July 1, 2024, to November 14, 2024. They also suggested removing the last two years from the plan, reducing the budget forecast to eight years instead of ten. Additionally, Patrick recommended that the Capital Plan be re-evaluated to ensure that the projected amounts for future purchases are reasonable, as costs are rising year by year.
Jim made a motion to amend the Capital Plan by changing the date and removing the 2033-2035 years from the plan prior to the FY 26 Budget hearing in December. Patrick seconded and the motion was carried unanimously.
Patrick made the motion to recommend to the Board of Supervisors to approve the FY 26 Budget & Capital Plan, Jim seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.
- Executive Session (if needed): None
- Next Meeting: Thursday, January 9, 2025 @ 5 PM- (There is no meeting in December due to the FY 26 Budget Hearing)
- Other Business: None
- Adjournment: 5:58 PM
Minutes prepared by:
Anita Grant
Office Manager & Operations Liaison/District Clerk