Did you know...the Town of Wells Select Board meetings are streamed live for your viewing on Facebook and YouTube? You can watch previously recorded meetings at any time, or tune in live to share a comment or question for the chance to have it shared during the public forum.

Stay up to date and view the meeting minutes at your convenience.

The Town of Wells is ready to greet the holiday season with its 3rd annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony. This year includes a meet and greet with Santa, performances from the Atlantic Harmonies singing group, led by Bailey Smith, Touch A Truck, where kids of all ages will have the chance to explore a Wells Fire Truck, cookie decorating, letters to Santa, ornament decorating, a hot cocoa bar and more! This is a free event and welcome to all ages.

The event will be held on Friday, December 2nd at 6:00pm at the Wells Town Hall, located at 208 Sanford Road, Wells ME 04090. Communications and Volunteer Coordinator, Rebekah Kelley, encourages families to come out, bring their friends and neighbors and join in the holiday cheer. “It is the perfect way to ring in the holiday spirit and see the lights glisten in front of Wells Town Hall!” says Kelley. “In addition to a tree being lit, we will also have a Chanukah menorah on display.”

Don't miss out on a chance to meet Santa Claus himself and view the first lighting of the Town of Wells Christmas Tree. Dress for the weather and come ready to sing, drink cocoa, be merry and welcome the most wonderful time of the year!

Thank you to Bread and Roses Bakery for helping sponsor the event and their generous donation of cookies.

Questions or comments can be made to: Rebekah Kelley: Volunteer and Communications Coordinator by email or at (207) 361-8130.

On August 2, 2022, the Board of Selectmen unanimously appointed Michael W. Pardue as Town Manager, with his first day in office being November 14, 2022. Mr. Pardue has a wide-ranging management and operations background that spans nearly 40 years. His public-sector management experience includes serving as a Municipal Manager, Municipal Administrator, Director of Public Safety, Chief of Police, Fire Chief, Director of Public Services and Director of Human Resources in a variety of New England communities. Mr. Pardue is recognized in both public and corporate environments across the country for his innovative and contemporary approach to leadership, organizational management and strategic planning.

In addition to his wide-ranging experience in the public sector, Mr. Pardue offers an extensive private sector management and operations background as well. He has served as Vice President of Operations for the Atlas Group, a worldwide telecommunications corporation where he was directly responsible for managing project performance on a global platform, ensuring adherence to quality standards, while meeting contractual obligations. Further, he managed Atlas Group’s Global-consulting staff, responsible for the recruitment, staffing and development of personnel on a worldwide basis.

In addition to his affiliation with numerous professional organizations, Mr. Pardue has served as Chair of the Board of Directors for Northeast Delta Dental (NEDD) of Maine. While a member of the NEDD Board, he held office on the Executive Board and served on the corporation’s Finance, Corporate Governance and Long-Range Planning Committees. Mr. Pardue served three terms on the NEDD Board; the maximum allowed by corporation by-laws.

Mr. Pardue holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration, numerous management and leadership certifications and is a graduate of the Babson College Command Institute. His continuing education includes studies at Harvard University’s School of Business.

Mr. Pardue consults and presents nationally on the topics of Organizational Leadership, Accountability and Workforce Culture, Transforming Workplace Cultures, Preventing Workplace Harassment, Strategic Cutback Management and Public Safety Directorship.

Mike enjoys a variety of outdoor sports and greatly values time with family. Mike and his wife Karen reside in Kennebunk, Maine. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Snow is on its way! What better way to spend wintry weather time than with a good book? Come see what the library has on its New Shelves.

And if you’ve got cabin fever, we can help with that, too!

Tuesday, Dec 6^th 6:00 pm: North Spore will be here to teach how to grow your own mushrooms.

Wednesday, Dec 7^th 4:30 pm: We will be discussing Voyage of Mercy by Stephen Puleo.

Thursday, Dec 8^th 2:00 pm: Today’s craft is paint swirl ornaments. Let your creativity soar!

Tuesday, Dec 13^th 5:00 pm: All ages are invited to learn how to draw anime with Carlos Nieto.

Wednesday, Dec 14^th 3:00 pm: Jeff Snow will share music and stories of Scotland, Ireland and England.

Thursday, Dec. 15^th 6:00 pm: Crafts, music and activities, plus a visit from you-know-who!

Children’s weekly activities will take a short break after Friday, Dec 16^th and will resume on Monday, Jan 9^th.

The Wells Board of Selectmen has scheduled a public meeting on climate change for Thursday, December 8, at 6:00 PM in the community room of the Wells Public Library. This meeting offers an unusual opportunity for an exchange of ideas and information about:

Need to renew your license or order that vanity plate? The new online appointment booking system is up and running. Schedule at any branch BMV office at a time that works for you. Visit the Maine BMV website for more information or to make an appointment.

During the next 9 months, the Town of Wells will undergo a property revaluation. This process will include the restructuring of the cost tables and upgrading of the depreciation tables. The purpose of a revaluation is to adjust all property values to current levels to ensure equity in assessment.

This will be a collaborative effort, with the assessing staff working with the Vision Appraisal revaluation team of appraisers and data collectors. Vision Appraisal is our current software company and is well known in the field of computerized assessment. Everyone will be carrying identification and will be seen around town in well-marked vehicles.

We encourage every taxpayer to check their assessment information on the town website under Departments, then Assessing, then Property Cards – this will take you to the Vision Appraisal website. If you find any errors, irregularities or just have questions, please contact us at 207-646-6081 for assistance.  If you don’t have internet access, please call us and we will review your information with you. Your input and participation is encouraged.

We will be bringing you periodic reports to keep you, the taxpayer, informed on the progress of this project. The Vision team will be going to the homes that have sold recently within the last two years. If you are one of those taxpayers please be aware of this.

The Code Enforcement Office has been busy with the newly formed Lodging Committee that has been meeting up to two Wednesdays a month since early fall. The Committee has been reviewing lodging licenses in communities throughout the State and will bring forward recommendations over the next several months to the Board of Selectmen.   

The Committee has been working on a new application for all new and existing lodging licenses that will be presented to the Board of Selectmen in a workshop setting on December 20, 2022, to hopefully be rolled out in the 2023-2024 licensing year. 

Information about the Lodging Committee, as well as meeting minutes can be found here.

Wells Parks and Recreation is once again selling Christmas trees on a first come, first serve basis. Sales began on Saturday, November 26th and will continue until all trees are sold out. The trees are sold at the Wells Recreation Park Pavilion (at the back of the lower parking lot), located at 412 Branch Road, Wells, ME. All full size trees are priced at $50 a tree.

However, hours may change due to staff availability. Please visit the Wells Parks and Recreation website for the most up to date hours.

If a staff member is not in the pavilion during open hours, please ring the Rental Shop bell, or call 646-5826 for assistance.

'Tis the season for Santa Claus to make special calls to Wells & Ogunquit children in preschool-2nd grade. Santa will speak with your child and wish him or her a very Merry Christmas! The Wells Recreation Department has been offering this special holiday program since 1984.

Santa will makes calls on Wednesday, December 14th between 6:00-7:00pm. Online Forms must be completed by noon on December 13th. Click here to complete your online form.

You can also get a chance to meet Santa in person! Wells Parks and Recreation is also hosting a Visit Santa night at the Walter Marsh Recreation Area. Come enjoy Christmas lights, music, and some hot chocolate. Visit with Santa and tell him your Christmas wishes on Friday, December 2nd, starting at 5pm. Registration is REQUIRED, though the event is free. Slots are filled on a first come, first serve basis. Learn more about this event here.

We know this is a busy month for us all, but don't forget about your four-legged companions! Dog licenses expire December 31st, and there are a few weeks left to register your dog before the new year.

Please bring a current rabies and neutering certificate, if applicable. The fee for an intact male or female dog is $11. The fee for a neutered or spayed dog is $6.

A $25.00 late fine starts February 1st, in addition to the licensing fee.

If you have further questions, please call the Town Clerk's office, open Monday through Friday, from 8am to 4pm at (207) 646-2882.

The Wells Ogunquit Senior Center will be hosting a Christmas Fair on Saturday, December 3rd, from 10am to 2pm. There will be raffles, pies, crafts, eggnog and more! The event is sure to be a blast and put smiles on the faces of all those who attend.

There will also be a 100 Club Raffle, on Friday, December 16th from 3:30pm to 5pm. Tickets are $20 and only 100 tickets will be sold, meaning your chance of winning big is high! The top prize is $500. The evening will include a potluck dinner, be sure to sign up in advance!

The events will be held at 300 Post Rd. Find more details about these events and more on the Senior Center website.

View the flyer below for a full round up of the major holiday events taking place in Wells this December. All events are free and open to all ages. Come join Wells Parks & Recreation, Wells Public Library and Wells Maine Chamber of Commerce as we come together as a town to celebrate the happiest time of the year!