Chittenden Solid Waste District opens nominations for executive board; approves consent agenda and moves into executive session on contract negotiations

The Chittenden Solid Waste District board on May 27 opened nominations for its annual organizational meeting and approved the consent agenda, with a minor correction to the meeting minutes, before voting unanimously to enter executive session to discuss contract negotiations.

Sarah, the district's executive director, told commissioners that nominations for next year's officers and executive board must be emailed to her “by Friday the 12th,” and that self-nominations are permitted. She explained the process used since moving to a hybrid meeting format: a circulated slate will list who has been nominated, in-meeting nominations are allowed if a position is contested, and the board elects the chair first followed by other officers and the executive board.

The organizational meeting is scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of June, followed immediately by the board’s regular monthly meeting, Sarah said. She added that the organizational meeting is also when the board reauthorizes several technical items, including spending limits, bonding authorities, and the percentage interest assessed for certain district charges.

A commissioner pointed out a correction in the April 22 minutes: the wages and benefits line should read “56.7 FTEs,” a staff-count figure, not “56.87%” as printed. The secretary confirmed that the correction has been made and the consent agenda — which included the April 22 minutes, a program update memo, and the standard finance report — was approved as presented.

Later in the meeting the board moved into executive session to discuss contract negotiations, citing concern that premature public disclosure would place the district, its member municipalities, or other parties at a disadvantage. The motion to enter executive session was moved by Burlington and seconded by Essex; the board voted in favor and entered executive session. Afterward, the board returned to public session following a motion to exit executive session moved by Jericho and seconded by Burlington.

No details of the contract negotiations were disclosed in the public portion of the meeting. The chair announced she will follow up directly with commissioners about a legal matter by email within 24 hours.

The meeting adjourned following the executive session return.