WELLS, Maine — At a Sept. 30 workshop on lodging fees, Selectmen directed staff to gather additional data before the board considers significant increases to long‑unchanged lodging license fees.

Why it matters: Licensing fees for lodging in Wells have not been updated since 2003, and the budget committee proposed large increases this year to account for higher service demands during the summer season. Selectmen concluded the town needs detailed, attributable cost data before adopting a new fee schedule.

What happened and what the board asked for
- Background and current fees: The board was reminded that current licensing charges are low ($10 per room and $1 per campsite, last updated in 2003) and therefore the budget committee had proposed a larger fee increase during the most recent budget cycle.
- Calls for service: Staff presented compiled police dispatch data for January 2022 through 2024, provided by Aaron Stewart in dispatch. The data show pronounced seasonality in calls, with higher monthly call totals in the summer months (July/August) compared with winter. The board discussed the difficulty of attributing specific calls to visitors versus year‑round residents.
- Data requested: Selectmen asked staff to return with: (1) a seasonality analysis of calls for service tied to lodging properties and campgrounds; (2) an estimate of the cost per call or per service for police, ambulance and other town services; (3) the tax contribution/property valuation for lodging properties to understand the share of property tax revenue currently covering town services; and (4) a proposed fee schedule and implementation plan that could include phased increases and an automatic periodic adjustment (for example, tied to a cost‑index) to avoid long gaps between updates.
- Legal/administrative limits: Staff and the town attorney reminded the board that municipal licensing fees must be reasonably related to the cost of administration and enforcement. The meeting referenced state/municipal penalty ranges for ordinance enforcement; staff recommended the proposed fee changes be justified with evidence of administrative and enforcement costs to withstand legal scrutiny.

Next steps and timeline
Selectmen asked staff to prepare the requested data and a draft fee proposal in time for budget discussions; staff suggested a phased increase over multiple years could be easier to implement and accept. The board also asked that there be public hearings and outreach for lodging operators before any fee change is adopted.

Ending: The board did not vote on fee changes at the workshop and directed staff to return with the requested seasonality, cost and tax‑revenue data ahead of the next budget cycle.