They say that April showers bring May flowers, but in the Town of Wells, April showers also bring exciting seasonal sightings, from Piping Plover nests, to new traffic lights to impending beach pass sales. With Summer right around the corner, the Town of Wells is busy preparing in many ways. Read on to learn how we are getting ready for the busiest and most exciting time of year!
Beach Sticker Purchase: Breaking down the Basics
Jodie Sanborn, Finance Director
Beach Parking Pass How-To Guide

Interested in buying a Beach Pass for the 2022 season? Wondering how and when to buy your Beach Pass? We can help! Watch this short video to learn more.

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For residents and taxpayers that will be purchasing their beach parking passes in person, starting on May 2nd, for faster processing please make sure to bring:
To assist beachgoers, the staff has compiled these Frequently Asked Questions related to beach parking. The full list can be found here.
When do you have to pay for parking at Wells beaches? 
Paid parking in Wells is from the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday, May 28, 2022) through the Monday of Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Monday, October 11, 2022). 
 
What are the hours for paid parking? 
Parking fees are collected from 8AM to 6PM. 
 
What is the hourly parking fee collected by the meters? 
The hourly fee is $5.00 per hour. 
 
Where are the metered parking lots in Wells? 
Eastern Shore Lot : located at the end of
Atlantic Avenue 
Mile Road Lot: located with the playground on Mile Road 
Drakes Island Gross Lot: located at the
eastern end of Drake’s Island 
Drakes Island Jetty Lot: located at the end of Island Beach Road on Drake’s Island 
Gold Ribbon Lot: located on Webhannet
Drive 
 
Are there free parking lots in Wells? 
Casino Square Parking Lot : located at the
end of Mile Road (near Forbes Restaurant) 
Harbor Parking Lot : located at the end of
Harbor Road 
 
Do I have to pay for parking or need a beach parking pass if I have a disability plate and/or placard?  
The fee for parking is waived when the proper plate and/or placard are displayed, and the parking is being used by the holder of the plate and/or placard. 
 
What is the cost of a beach parking pass?  
A pass costs $40.00 per sticker. A veteran/current armed forces service member pass costs $20.00 per sticker. 

Who is eligible for a beach parking pass?  
The passes are a taxpayer benefit. To be eligible a person must either own property in the Town of Wells that is assessed a real estate tax bill or live in Wells and pay a vehicle excise tax.   
 
Who is eligible for a veteran/current armed forces service member pass?  
This pass is for vehicles registered to a Veteran or Current Armed Services Member or their spouse. Proof of being a Veteran or Current Armed Forces Service member is required (ie DD 214 or Active Service Member ID).   
 
When can a beach sticker be purchased?  
Beach stickers are available for sale starting the first Monday in May (May 2, 2022) through the Monday of Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October 11, 2022). 
 
How can I purchase a beach sticker?  
Beach stickers may be purchased online, in person or by mail.  


 
How can I purchase a veteran/current armed forces service member pass?  
These passes must be purchased in office or by the mail. 
Second Tax Installment Due
Department staff has been busy posting tax payments, registering vehicles and fielding calls regarding beach parking. The 2022 second installment tax bills were mailed from the printer on Tuesday, April 19th. Taxpayers have until May 30th to pay the second installment before interest starts accruing. Taxpayers that have not paid the first installment should call the office to get the current amount due as interest is accrued daily on outstanding first installment balances. As a reminder, any payments received will be applied to the oldest outstanding balance first.
Piping Plover Program Plows Ahead for 2022 Season
The Piping Plover Program Monitors kicked off their 2022 season of volunteering with a training session on April 16th to review best practices for plover monitoring and plan for the upcoming months. The meeting was headed by Lead Monitor, Suzanne Craig, and Volunteer and Communications Coordinator, Rebekah Kelley. Presenters included Brad Zitske, state bird biologist, Caroline Werkheiser the Animal Control Officer, Laura Zitske, Wildlife Ecologist at Maine Audubon, Laura Williams, Wildlife Biologist and Conservation Assistant, and other members of Maine Audubon. The presenter topics ranged from Piping Plover basics, to beach pass policies, to logging hours of volunteer time.
The monitors expressed words of advice to the general public to ensure the safety and overall well-being of the endangered Piping Plovers. Here is what you can do to share the beach with our local plover residents.
  • Stay clear of fenced areas marked with “Restricted Area” signs. Observe the birds from a distance.
  • If you see a hole that someone has enjoyed digging but abandoned for the day, fill the hole in so no chicks are inadvertently trapped.
  • Keep dogs leashed and all pets far away from nesting areas. Roaming dogs and cats are among the top threats to the eggs of Plovers.
  • Fly kites well away from nesting areas. Plovers mistake them for predators and leave their nests to ward off “intruders.”
  • Take your trash and food scraps with you when you leave the beach for the day. Garbage attracts animals that prey on plover eggs and chicks.
  • Notify Maine Audubon, at 207-245-2353, of any disturbances to nesting areas.
For more information on the Piping Plover species and how you can take part in helping protect and grow their endangered population, read the following article or visit Maine Audubon.
Assessing Department Continues Logging Property
Keeley Lambert, Assessor
Warm days are here. Our office is very busy keeping up with creating and issuing online accounts for beach stickers. Walk-in traffic in the Town Hall has increased. The staff is still hard at work making transfers of properties and doing owner updates. 
Personal property accounts are still being looked at and logged into our Vision CAMA system. Map changes and new addresses for homes and subdivisions happen very regularly. We are still out in the field doing our yearly pickup and inventory of property. We drive around in a blue all electric Nissan Leaf.
The second half of the tax bills have been sent out and some are being returned to our office because people may have moved or sold their property. If you have not received yours please reach out to our office and we will help remedy this. 
Wells Needs You! Volunteer Today
Volunteers are a vital and essential part of the Town of Wells community. If you would like to volunteer for a day, evening, year round or seasonally, we have vacancies available. 
Become a volunteer with the Town of Wells today! Your abilities and your passion can make a big difference. Join your friends and neighbors to make Wells not only the friendliest Town but also the best town to live, work and play in Maine. If you have the time, we've got the place for you!
To start making a difference in our community and easily submit your volunteer application online today, simply scan the QR code or navigate to the online application. If you would like to apply through our form, please complete the Volunteer Application and return by email or to the Wells Town Office.
Wells bids farewell to Ron Howard and welcomes Jerry Morrill
Tina LeBlanc, Director of Parks & Recreation
The Wells Parks & Recreation Department is in full swing with our Spring programs including Boys and Girls 3rd & 4th grade Lacrosse, 5th & 6th grade Lacrosse, Sticklets, Little Laxers, Archery, Running Club, and Track & Field.
Unfortunately, our Maintenance helper and teammate Ron Howard of 3 years resigned this week as he and his wife moved to Vermont to start another chapter in their lives. We wish him well and thank him for all his hard work at the parks.
We’ve been lucky enough to hire on Gerald Morrill “Jerry” who has proudly filled Ron’s “boots” for this season! Please say hi to both Steven and Jerry when you are out and about at the Walter Marsh Recreation Park as they (and Ron) have taken a lot of care to clean up the grounds after the long winter and work diligently every day to present a beautiful, well- maintained park and trail system.
We are excited to offer our Summer Day Camp again this year! The staff is in the process of planning an array of wonderful activities and adventures for the children to enjoy for the summer! For more information, please visit our Summer Day Camp Page.
The tennis nets have been installed and the gates are open to the public for free on a first come first serve basis! Because of the poor conditions we are down to two working courts and in the process of planning for new courts to be installed in the near future.
Happy Spring!
No Mow May: How you can do more by doing less!
Sometimes, doing less, or even nothing at all in this case, can make a positive impact. Consider, for the next month, letting your yard go wild and breaking the habit of regular mowing to help preserve the threatened bee population. By waiting until at least June to mow their spring lawns, allowing wild plants to take over grassy areas, Mainers can give bees just emerging from hibernation the food they need to do the crucial work of pollination.
Towns across Maine are joining the initiative, and we ask Wells residents to consider taking part in the pledge to forgo mowing for May while the bee populations recover. Click below to read more benefits of forgoing lawn maintenance and where the idea originated from.
New Traffic Signal to be Activated
Carol Murray, Director of Public Works
The new traffic signals that Maine Dot is installing at the intersection of Route 109 (Sanford Road) and Crediford Road will be activated on Thursday, May 5 at 10 am. There will be public notices from DOT and the Town on all social media outlets and web pages. 
These signals are clearly being installed to improve safety at this intersection, but they are also state of the art in intelligent transportation technology. They are an adaptive traffic control system which means that signal timing changes and adapts, based on actual traffic demands. The timing is not static, but adjusts to the actual traffic approaching the intersection. 
Radar is used to detect approaching traffic for about 900’ ahead of the signal. That equipment can also measure the size of vehicles as they approach the intersection and adjust the duration of the yellow (decision) phase of the signal. 
For example, if a tractor trailer is detected moving toward the intersection, the signal will adjust so that adequate stopping distance is allowed before the light turns red. When backups occur, the signal automatically adjusts the timing of the signals in gradual increments until the backup is cleared, or at least wait time is balanced in each direction.

Learn more about the Route 109 Corridor study here.
Code Enforcement buckles up for a busy season
Jodine Adams, Director of Code Enforcement
It is that time of year again. Everything is starting to open up again and of course this means a busy season for the Code Office, with tasks heavier than our winter work-load.
Building permits are starting to double with work such as generator, solar, shed, deck and additions. This mean planning your project...and yes, permitting needs to be planned. It typically takes 7-10 business days for a complete application to be issued as a permit.

Research: If you are looking for documents, property information and more, please visit our page. You will see a large Red button, where you can submit a form directly to a Code Officer.
Inspections: If you have an open permit, your inspections are outlined for your project. You will need to call the Front Staff within a minimum of 24 hours. We pride ourselves on next day inspections, however, during this busy time you may not always get next day service. Our schedule is based on how booked the building inspectors day is.

Complaints: If you have land use or building complaints please contact our Code Enforcement Office at 207-646-5187. Complaints are important to us, and we must complete an investigation. Life Safety complaints/concerns are handled immediately. All other complaints are responded to in a timely manner.
Earth Day Clean Up Event clears pounds of beach debris
Wells Volunteers
The Earth Day Beach Clean Up Event, which took place Saturday April 23rd, successfully saw pounds of trash and litter cleared from the beaches of Wells.

The day began with a presentation by the Blue Ocean Society, who helped explain the impact of human disruption on marine life to the crowd of volunteers. They explained why these clean-ups were so important and how residents could collectively make a huge impact on preserving marine life by clearing waste. Lead Piping Plover monitors were also in attendance, to alert volunteers of the proximity of Piping Plover nests, and instruct them on how to act in a way that would not disturb the endangered species during the clean up event.
Volunteers walked the shores of Wells Beach and Drakes Island Beach, as well as adjacent parking areas and were able to clear many pounds of trash from the areas. Volunteers logged on a data sheet the type of trash that was collected for further research by the Blue Ocean Society. Each bag collected was also weighed and logged.

Thank you to Blue Ocean Society, the Piping Plover Program, Congdon's Doughnuts, and all our selfless volunteers for making the day a success and helping clean our beautiful beaches and preserve our planet.

View more photos from the Earth Day Beach Clean Up Event here.
If you have submission ideas or requests for The Wells Connector, please contact rkelley@wellstown.org.
208 Sanford Road
Wells, ME 04090
207-646-5113