Wolfeboro selectmen review Chapter 36 docks ordinance, debate barge fees, enforcement and accessibility

Wolfeboro selectmen spent more than two hours April 30 reworking Chapter 36 of the town ordinances governing docks and wharves, focusing on enforcement of commercial landings, the structure of barge landing fees, trailer parking rules, and whether the town should add a handicapped‑accessible docking spot.

At the outset the board asked town staff to confirm what authority the town has to regulate vessels anchoring near town docks and to get that guidance in writing from state authorities. Selectmen asked staff to contact marine patrol and the state police in Guilford and to return with documented guidance on permission processes for moorings and for moving wake or swim buoys farther from town docks.

The most sustained debate centered on commercial barge operations at the Libby Museum ramp and other town landing areas. Board members described complaints from some barge operators that other users leave barges unattended for long periods, clogging the landing. The ordinance currently limits loading and unloading to two hours in some places; members proposed shortening that to reduce congestion but did not settle on a new limit.

Selectmen also questioned whether the current fee schedule is appropriate. The transcript records prior proposals of $300, $1,500 and $3,000 for annual commercial permits; some suggested the earlier $3,000 figure felt arbitrary and asked staff to compare…