Everyone knows that the Department of Public Works plows snow all winter, so what do we do the rest of the year? Work starts in the spring to get the beaches and Public Ways ready for the summer. The beach mats are installed, the winter’s debris and rocks are cleaned out of the Public Ways, trash cans are set out and parking lots are cleaned.

This year, we worked with the Police Department to update the signage in the parking lots, a project that will be ongoing for quite awhile and will include signs at the Public Ways.

In June, the lifeguard stands are set out, and this year, that activity had to be carefully coordinated with the plover monitors because of both the number of nests and the chicks that were roaming out of their nests.

Roadside mowing starts in May, and the mower is out almost every day. For some years, roadside mowing was not done and we are trying to catch up with growth that has matured and moved closer to the road. Drainage repairs, ditch cleaning, and catch basin cleaning are summertime work. The beach tractor and rake work on the days that the tide allows the equipment to be out there to clean the beaches with as minimal disturbance to people enjoying the beach.

Signs are made in the sign shop, for either new messages or to replace old faded signs or ones that are missing. The pavement markings are refreshed, which is done by an outside contractor. The summer paving program starts once the ground warms up, usually late April. The paving contractor also puts down gravel for the roadway shoulders, which backs up the pavement edge so it does not ravel. Tree trimming to open roadways up is something that is undertaken, but again, we are trying to get caught up.

This is not a complete list of the DPW activities, but is a sample of what summer activities the DPW undertakes.

The department would like to congratulate Tammi Hollins who has become the HR Generalist/Accounts Payable Specialist. Tammi previously held the roll of Office Manager/AP and Payroll Specialist for the department. The department is now currently seeking applicants to fill an Assistant Tax Collector/General Assistance position. You can browse the full listing of available jobs on our town website, to apply to this position and more!

Summer brings increased foot traffic and wait times in the Finance Department with people wanting to purchase beach parking stickers, register vehicles or pay taxes. To help save you time from waiting in line for a vehicle re-registration, you are encouraged to complete the transaction online. Most re-registration motor vehicle transactions may be renewed on-line by clicking here. You will need your current registration, current insurance card, mileage and a checking account or credit card to complete the renewal on-line. The registration and updated stickers will then be sent to you by mail from the State of Maine.

Staff would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend!

It seems June has brought the weather we have all been waiting for at the harbor. Slips and moorings are filling up fast and the charter boats are getting busy. For those of you on a waitlist for a mooring or slip, please know the list is moving, this year we have had 6 people give up their slips, putting a good dent in the long list. Last week the Selectman voted to institute a commercial mooring list, this should help with future dredging requests and should help the mooring list move a little quicker.

Keely Crane and two of their employees recently donated time and equipment to move the flagpole from behind the new shellfish building to the South side of the harbor for more visibility. On that note, the shellfish building is progressing nicely with wiring complete and drywall going up.

The Town of Wells has partnered with the Wells Estuarian Reserve in hiring an intern to run the lab for the Summer, we are looking forward to working with Olivia Hardy a recent graduate of the University of New England.

Heading into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Assessing Office is still hard at work going over the various changes we have been gathering in our annual spring pick up. Campground unit information is being loaded into our system and we are busy checking ownership and making sure everyone that qualifies for a beach sticker will be able to get one.

With the ongoing changes we are making to various properties throughout the summer, it is always a great idea to check online for your property information and make sure what we have is the most accurate accounting of your property. You can do this by going to the town website and into the GIS tab and search for your property. You can access the GIS site here. From there you can see a copy of the Vision Tax Card that has all the information listed. If you can also check and make sure your mailing address is current.

We have been busy reading through the two quotes for our revaluation that will be taking place for the 2023 tax bill. Our last revaluation took place in 2013. There have been many market changes in the Town of Wells in the last 10 years and the revaluation will help to make sure the tax burden is distributed in an equitable fashion. This project is slated to start in September 2022 and we will be doing an informational page soon for residents.

The Wells Parks & Recreation Department is in full swing with Summer Day Camps serving over 200 children combined with our four different camps. The weather was fantastic the first week of camp and only one rain day this week. The K-6^th graders have their first field trip this week to Rotary Park in Biddeford, Maine. The weather looks great for the rest of the week! We are looking forward to a wonderful summer.

Please check out our sports camps that will be taking place this summer by visiting our website.

We are currently taking registrations for the following programs:

Have a great Summer!

The Wells Code Enforcement Office will continue to be short staffed throughout the summer months. We understand that everyone’s permits, questions and complaints are very important, but the on-going volume of work is impossible to do in the timely manner that everyone is accustomed to expecting from this office.

Please note the following timelines:

We will continue to try and offer next day inspection services to the best of our ability, but that cannot be guaranteed, and projects should be planned accordingly.