Throughout the community there has been a lot of discussion surrounding growth in the Town of Wells. Over the next several months the Comprehensive Planning Committee will be working on updating the 2005 Comprehensive Plan which is a community-driven document that will help guide future development activities, growth and infrastructure investments in the community. The first meeting for public input will be on July 13, 2021 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Walter Marsh Recreational Area Pavilion at 412 Branch Road, Wells. All are welcome!

To help clarity exactly what construction activities are taking place and why Wells is known for issuing  so many permits I have broken it down. What requires a building permit is basically the same throughout every community in the entire State because we have a State adopted building code. The high number of permits you may see in Wells is because homeowners and contractors are applying for and being issued permits for the work they perform. The more permits we issue means citizens and contractors are trying to build code compliant projects which is a benefit for the entire community regarding life safety and it continues to help keep the integrity of the home values in Wells.

From January 1, 2021 to June 18, 2021 485 building permits for projects such as sheds, interior renovations, finishing space above garages and basement conversions into living space, window replacements, new & replacement decks, building additions and kitchen renovations have been issued. The Code Office has also issued 78 new single-family dwelling permits and 10 permits for the demolition of existing single-family dwellings that are re-constructed with a new single-family dwelling on the same lot.

The Code Office has also issued 155 plumbing permits, 65 new septic systems and 12 replacement septic systems this year.

On a 10 year average the Code Office issues 123 new single-family dwelling permits and 7 replacement single family dwelling permits with a total average of 985 building permits issued each year.

The Wells Recreation Department is so excited to be able to hold our Summer Day Camp again this year. We have 150 children enjoying our first couple of weeks thus far. The weather has been challenging but we are getting by. Camps K-6^th graders were able to see Maine’s National Park Ranger’s Search and Rescue dogs on June 24^th. What a great demonstration and educational experience they had!

 Our Jr. Leadership program for children going into grades 7-9 have so many outdoor adventures lined up for the season like Gorilla Tactics, Sebago Trails, Escape Room, Paintball, and so much more! We have an awesome staff working diligently to ensure a great summer for everyone!

Discount tickets for some of Maine’s Amusement and Water Parks have arrived and are on sale to the public at the Rec office as follows:

Funtown/Splashtown Combo        $35 (save $10)

Splashtown Only                                    $31 (save $6)

York’s Wild Kingdom-Zoo               $10 (save $4.75)

Aquaboggan                              $20 (save $6)

Finance/Tax Collection Office

The Finance Office has had a busy couple of months and I want to thank my staff for all their hard work and all the extra hours they have been putting in. They continued to provide great customer service to lines that seemed endless at times.

Second installment tax bills were due by June 7^th to avoid interest. As of June 7^th the 2021 tax collection was at 92.48%. There were 2,504 bills outstanding for a total outstanding balance of $2,582,201.50. Department staff has issued 4,237 of the 6,228 seasonal beach passes that have been issued to date. Sticker issuance is currently 2,285 higher than last year at this time.

The department welcomes Caitlin Greene who is doing an internship with the department this summer. Caitlin will be entering her senior year at Smith College in Massachusetts. She is majoring in Economics and minoring in Woman and Gender Studies. While interning for the Town she is performing a wide variety of tasks which include Finance Office counter transactions, bank reconciliation, pre-audit and audit preparation, as well as the researching of capital and special reserve funds.

Summer is here and the vegetation around town is flourishing…in some cases doing too well. DPW has been out mowing the roadsides and cutting back vegetation at intersections to assure that sight distance is preserved. The public ways providing access to the beaches are being choked by the beach roses, which are very pretty and smell amazing, but have thorns that can grab skin or clothing. 

While there are lots of reasons why DPW cuts vegetation back, there are times when there are mistakes made. For example, the flail mower leaves a jagged cut and while most vegetation can recover from being cut, that does not always happen. Please understand that we try to take care and be respectful, we are trying to provide safety for all users of the town’s roadways and path systems. Cutting vegetation back provides clear visibility, provides a fire stop and opens roads up to the sun in the winter and is a maintenance item that has not been addressed in several years.