Representatives of Save Our Shores Maine and several Wells residents urged the selectmen to ask the planning board to review and revise a provision of the town's flood ordinance that applies a 50% lifetime cap on repairs and reconstruction to structures in mapped flood zones.

Bob Foley, president of Save Our Shores Maine and the Maine Coastal Coalition, told the board that under the town's June 2024 flood ordinance update, Wells moved from a previous 10‑year reset to a lifetime application of the "50% rule," meaning a property owner may be restricted from rebuilding or renovating more than 50% of a structure's value for the life of the building unless the structure is raised or flood‑proofed to FEMA standards. Foley said that approach is uncommon and that most nearby coastal towns use shorter reset periods such as five or ten years. "This change in the ordinance was never fully vetted or explained in any of the public hearings that I attended prior to the vote," he said, and warned the change could have "grave consequences" for homeowners and the town's property tax base.

Foley and other speakers described concrete scenarios: a house damaged by fire, a business with basements that cannot feasibly be elevated or flood‑proofed (for example, a hotel with a functional basement and indoor pool), and routine maintenance or safety upgrades such as stairs, railings or window replacements. Steve Kettinger added that the town's ordinance appears to combine two FEMA valuation methods in a way FEMA guidance does not permit, producing lower eligible values and therefore a smaller renovation allowance for some property owners.

Speakers requested that the selectmen direct the planning board to review the ordinance language and consider replacing the lifetime cap with a five‑year reset or other modifications that allow necessary maintenance and routine upgrades without forcing costly full elevation or full flood‑proofing. There was no immediate vote; the public comment period exceeded the scheduled time and the board said the topic would return later in the meeting for further consideration and formal action by the planning board.