[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,74,86],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6804640,"mediaKeyId","5601390-cd60f5b09aa77a18698c5b5482b875f3","parentId",5601390,"title","Votes at a glance: Wells Select Board approves permits, purchases and hearings on Aug. 19","audioSeconds",5373,"startMs",4723920,"endMs",10097715,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5601390-cd60f5b09aa77a18698c5b5482b875f3&start=4723&end=10097","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5601390-cd60f5b09aa77a18698c5b5482b875f3/thumbnail_4723920.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6804640/Wells/York-County/Maine/Votes-at-a-glance-Wells-Select-Board-approves-permits-purchases-and-hearings-on-Aug-19","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6804640-6c834f1b068d61ff2eea0b68820d5e37/orig.mp4?Expires=1769756347&Signature=BaDcuW5XPVaznhBO9hADsLPXTxMwffdt1ZUd3L9rmNobghIVbK3cl~IbobXuAW5z~e10vm7U-~dAbbzigD-7hCz9IEaC-reiOHK-qrt7rxPNssiKIROAijEK9EDXuMU08Bfsl1jcvgLcMiFTSfp~a0BODxBaIy3TpNYsGJy78l8y6HIT0gHJESAt8dpG-9KrNxN9InO~OAWdIpqEFGKR-ynXNqasrfoLfxIZ8IagmUH-jIxcoI9rSfPS8vUfLoX9rRX9iBvnSpoJd~Ltr3xFsBWpAxZhWZaYzb57PEPWV1S1uOA-CewOpJwG4oi3BAgWYeKOkpuXFRCOp-JvDRvjBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Wells","date","2025-08-20T00:34:55.643Z","article","WELLS, Maine — At its Aug. 19 meeting the Wells Select Board approved a slate of routine motions and procurement items, voting unanimously on each recorded action.

What the board approved Monday

- Put a boundary‑line agreement for the Tilton Conservation Parcel before voters on Nov. 4, 2025; the board authorized certification and warrant signing for the ballot item.

- Granted full liquor licenses to Billy’s Chowder House, 216 Mile Road, and Mekong Thai, 162 Post Road, after closing public hearings; both motions passed 4–0.

- Approved a mass‑gathering permit for a crafts festival at the Wells Reserve for Loud Home Farms (Sept. 6–7, 2025); motion passed 4–0.

- Recognized a long‑standing intrusion of a porch onto Atlantic Avenue (property at 100 Atlantic Ave.) as shown on the 1973 and 2024 surveys, restricted the intrusion from enlargement, and authorized an affidavit memorializing the board’s finding.

- Approved the purchase of a fire‑department drone through Sourcewell (Fly Motion) for $12,512.79 from the emergency operations budget; the board also confirmed training and operational protocols would be required for operators.

- Awarded public‑works vehicle procurement and setup: purchase of a Ford F‑350 chassis from Arundel Ford ($58,793), dump‑body installation by Allied Equipment ($30,550) and Fisher plow ($9,756.43) for a total of $99,099.43.

- Awarded a NAPA Autoparts bid of $18,688 for new tire mounting and balancing equipment for the public works department.

- Scheduled public hearings for Sept. 2, 2025, on: a lodging‑license application for 513 Post Road, proposed charter amendments relating to budget warrant articles on new positions, conversion of the town clerk from elected to appointed, and to access up to $4,500 from the facility maintenance and repair fund to replace a large display monitor in the Littlefield Meeting Room.

- Accepted multiple donations to the Wells Public Library and the Founders Park Community Center and approved meeting minutes for July 15 and Aug. 5, 2025.

Votes and procedural notes

Most motions were moved by a board member and seconded on the record; all recorded roll‑call votes were 4–0 in favor. Several items were handled as routine or consent agenda business; a number of discussed items (notably short‑term rental rulemaking and Flock Safety ALPRs) were left for further study and public input.

Next steps

The board scheduled additional workshops and public hearings in early September to resolve policy issues that require further community input, including charter amendments, monitor funding and the lodging license hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wells Select Board Meeting 8/19/25 at 4:45PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Wells Select Board approved a series of permits, purchases and hearings at its Aug. 19 meeting; all recorded votes were unanimous (4–0).","taxTitle","Wells, York County, Maine","taxId",54744,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":75,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":76,"_40":77,"_42":78,"_44":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6804645,"Flock Safety presentation draws residents’ privacy concerns; Select Board schedules deeper review",2647,6337415,8984560,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5601390-cd60f5b09aa77a18698c5b5482b875f3&start=6337&end=8984","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5601390-cd60f5b09aa77a18698c5b5482b875f3/thumbnail_6337415.jpg","/articles/6804645/Wells/York-County/Maine/Flock-Safety-presentation-draws-residents-privacy-concerns-Select-Board-schedules-deeper-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6804645-f323481aaafa8daf15b54914ae57be26/orig.mp4?Expires=1769756347&Signature=ZovsLvpvA2GtFVOigTMyoBfNXloQjSEocPmNF3K4x668WwHrMgw~h04fisldUFwzQeLo5spcYU55eD0ebkqHmyEHwFBxqsXwh6Y-3lXJc6ORnJJgNOfYLpqw9InxNJLRZvBJYc55b-NuEG5ckAV-vyc3wkHNY4kcmEm22nCkBazTPF0jSMslbT5nY5k209U0YnJmOTlOmYfy-h03kUd59VKUVIOALiQAhZqG~Vpel-6wa4Zr~xL-x4Ao7TYyAtyAyfYiHSGpkxU5hJEMz5ipSXxJgFEASKe2qyhdBEiOqXXLq0EpAERxG7JcIO9dJTkHcdf0qQ8KBmU41ciFFLcMkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WELLS, Maine — An informational presentation by Flock Safety and Wells Police on automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs) prompted lengthy public comment Monday, with residents and board members asking for a detailed workshop, legal review and clear policy guardrails before the town commits to any purchase.

Dan Delgroso, Flock Safety territory manager, described the system as a law‑enforcement tool that captures vehicle images and license plates (no facial recognition) and said data are police‑owned and automatically deleted after 21 days. “There’s no facial recognition. There’s no personal identifying information,” Delgroso said during the presentation, and he stressed that every search in the platform must include a reason and creates an auditable log.

Several residents raised legal and financial concerns. One public speaker pointed to litigation and settlements elsewhere, alleging that ALPR programs tied to immigration enforcement and broad surveillance have produced lawsuits and multimillion‑dollar liabilities — citing Maricopa County and ongoing litigation in other jurisdictions. Another resident said independent studies show a very low rate of “useful” ALPR hits in some places and warned of data security risks and potential misuse by officials.

Police representatives said the tools are intended to augment investigations — for example, locating vehicles in missing‑person or AMBER‑alert cases and linking vehicle sightings across jurisdictions through national databases such as NCIC. Local officers said the system can be configured to allow one‑way access (Wells can receive alerts without sharing its local data) and that multifactor authentication, audit trails and internal policy would be used to reduce misuse.

Board members and the public asked for specifics before any commitment: cost estimates (installation and recurring subscription fees), the legal interface with national systems, written access protocols, who can run searches and under what authority, retention and deletion practices, and whether the town can opt for one‑way or networked data sharing. The board agreed to hold a staff workshop that will include police protocols, detailed cost breakdowns and proposed safeguards; if the board later decides to pursue a contract it said the town would consider additional public input at that time.

Residents urged caution and said any future vote or contract should be preceded by independent legal analysis and community engagement. The board did not vote on procurement Monday.","A Flock Safety demonstration and Wells Police presentation of automated license‑plate readers prompted public concern over privacy, data sharing and legal risk. Flock reps emphasized vehicle‑only data, 21‑day retention and audit trails; residents and board members asked for a workshop and legal/cost review before any contract.",{"_32":87,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":88,"_40":89,"_42":90,"_44":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6804650,"Wells Select Board opens ordinance workshop on short‑term rentals, leaves details to future hearings",3708,8240,3716555,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5601390-cd60f5b09aa77a18698c5b5482b875f3&start=8&end=3716","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5601390-cd60f5b09aa77a18698c5b5482b875f3/thumbnail_8240.jpg","/articles/6804650/Wells/York-County/Maine/Wells-Select-Board-opens-ordinance-workshop-on-shortterm-rentals-leaves-details-to-future-hearings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6804650-da41aa5437c88ed1b5c58dec2ac7b842/orig.mp4?Expires=1769756347&Signature=nvJQMNUiR3WAgOsF06qbq3kknOtnU7Fdtl3N9kST6clJB1LADUBenTw1uhbr8edmAqRHRVIffdOwx2p0rVJ2mtCOWcy5l1RoTS8PHNw3ayZ3YWOcPptO-q6S7yydHloHArb2f8O~4g61V9Y62rulCDECw3SaRxWMW8e-AogjKaxa3uBJtxICdm8AbNjkK6KNx1iXhOizvRBfcZ0ZpzehRiYV~qoANdtBbUkdB4tM~Q~WRLKxqpUqdVHBSnNI2Kbx79hSJ9Gr44GhwBnW3Y~MVl8Kwkr-rWYCKcviYsBkGFK44uXS1xJjU~sACrlVDyB2GW0ES1YGorGjT9nMg4EzlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WELLS, Maine — The Wells Select Board began a multi‑session effort to draft a short‑term rental ordinance, agreeing Monday to move forward with a skeletal framework while deferring many technical details to staff, the planning board and future public hearings.

At a workshop attended by select board members and planning‑board representatives, members framed STR regulation as two parallel tracks: land‑use controls (where rentals are allowed by zone) and a licensing regime that would require registration and life‑safety compliance. “We need both zoning and licensing,” the board chair said, urging a draft that clarifies caps by neighborhood, owner‑limits and registration requirements.

The board debated how to define a short‑term rental. Several members said the commonly used maximum of 30 days makes sense, and urged regulating from day one rather than creating a seven‑day minimum that could functionally ban weekend rentals and be difficult to enforce. Others flagged two‑month and 28‑day thresholds as possible cutoffs for distinguishing short‑ and long‑term housing. Concern about life‑safety — smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, egress and emergency contact requirements — was a principal driver behind members’ insistence that operators meet safety standards regardless of grandfathering claims.

Members discussed ownership limits and numerical caps as tools to deter institutional investors from buying large swathes of housing stock. Ideas included capping the number of licenses by zone, limiting the number of units a single owner may operate, or setting an overall town cap tied to housing inventory. Board members suggested first‑come, lottery or distance‑based allocation systems as options for distributing a limited number of licenses.

Enforcement options divided the board. Staff estimated a code inspector could complete four to six full inspections per day, making mandatory pre‑approval inspections expensive if the town took responsibility for inspecting all existing and new STRs. The board favored self‑certification with random reinspection and clear penalties — suspension, revocation and daily fines — while acknowledging that serious safety items should be brought into compliance immediately.

The board also raised ADU coordination, exemptions for seasonal workers and students, parking and occupancy limits, noise complaints, and whether RVs or mobile park models should be allowed as STRs. Members agreed the next step is for staff and the planning board to produce a draft ordinance and for the Select Board to hold follow‑up workshops and public hearings before any formal vote.

The Select Board left the meeting with a directive to produce a short, transparent draft and to bring specific cost and enforcement estimates back to a future session.

The process is expected to include joint meetings with the Planning Board and public hearings before any ordinance is adopted or placed on a ballot.","The Select Board held a workshop to draft a short‑term rental ordinance framework, focusing on whether to regulate from day one or set a minimum stay, how to pair zoning and licensing, enforcement mechanisms, caps and owner limits, inspections and exemptions for workforce housing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Wells Select Board approves permits, purchases and hearings on Aug. 19

Flock Safety presentation draws residents’ privacy concerns; Select Board schedules deeper review

Wells Select Board opens ordinance workshop on short‑term rentals, leaves details to future hearings