WOLFEBORO, N.H. — At a Jan. 25 work session, the Wolfeboro Select Board reviewed an updated draft of the town's docks and wharves ordinance that restructures definitions, clarifies statutory authority and attempts to formalize which docks are residential and which are for commercial use.

The draft, presented by town staff, adds a citation to RSA 31:39(I)(a) as the source of the board's ordinance-making authority and expands definitions for "commercial docks," "commercial passenger vessel," "commercial barge" and related terms.

Board members said the changes aim to reduce confusion in existing language and to reflect earlier votes. "I took the motions that have been made to this point from the board, and I've gone through the ordinance," town staff said while walking the board through modifications.

Why it matters: the draft would lock in which slips are reserved for noncommercial, residential uses (Docks A through G), and which slips are designated for commercial passenger operations. That determination affects small charter operators, mail-boat operations, island residents and the town's ability to manage dock congestion and maintenance costs.

Key items discussed

- Docks A through G: members reviewed a prior motion that the board adopted on May 14, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026, to make Docks A through G available only for noncommercial uses and for state and municipal vessels; the same motion reserved one space on Dock G "for passenger pickup and drop off and ADA access." A board member referenced that motion as a starting point and noted it passed 4-1.

- Commercial docks numbering and purpose: the draft lists "Commercial Dock Number 1," "Commercial Dock Number 2" and "Commercial Dock Number 3" with differing uses. Town staff said Commercial Dock No. 1 was drafted for pickup and drop-off only; commercial crew members and some select board members disagreed about whether that slip should be limited to short-term passenger pickup or allow longer-term commercial operations. One board member said, "That docking area ... was called the Commercial Dock because it was where the Mount Washington landed," and urged that the ordinance match the historical intent.

- Mail boat and legacy vessels: members discussed how to treat the Blue Ghost Mail Boat (referred to at times in the meeting as the mail boat), the Millie B and the MS Mount Washington. The board noted a prior unanimous vote declaring certain vessels as "legacy vessels." Several members raised that some earlier motions and approvals (including a May 14, 2025 motion authorizing four existing businesses to operate from a commercial dock) produce tensions with the new text and will require reconciliation.

- Time limits at pickup slips: board members debated a proposed maximum pickup/drop-off time: draft language suggested 20 minutes at certain commercial pickup slips, but several members said they recall earlier discussions of 10 or 15 minutes and asked staff to note the discrepancy.

- Geographic clarity: one member recommended replacing ambiguous labels ("north slip," "south slip") with cardinal or shoreline-relative descriptions so future readers can locate slips without consulting old maps.

What the board did and did not do

This was a work session; members repeatedly noted they could take comments and mark changes but could not make binding motions or votes tonight. Town staff said the plan is to collect edits at this meeting, prepare a revised draft, and bring motions to a future public meeting and public hearing.

No final ordinance changes were adopted at the Jan. 25 work session. Members directed staff to produce a cleaned draft that reconciles prior motions, clarifies commercial dock definitions and corrects the pickup-time language.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified from the meeting record and include town staff presenting the draft and multiple Select Board members. Exact speaker names and formal titles were not consistently supplied in the work-session transcript for every remark; attributions below use the role labels the transcript provides.

Ending note

Board members asked staff to return with a consolidated ordinance draft that reconciles prior motions (including the May 14, 2025 4-to-1 vote limiting Docks A'G to noncommercial uses and reserving Dock G for pickup/ADA access), and to annotate places where the draft departs from prior formal votes so the board can decide whether to reconsider earlier motions before a public hearing.