Dennis Select Board approves multiple fee increases and places film and other fees on town-meeting warrant

The Dennis Select Board on Sept. 9 approved a wide-ranging package of department fee changes and endorsed a set of town-meeting warrant articles to implement larger or new fees.

Chair opened the fee hearing at 5 p.m. after the town administrator's report. Fire Chief Chris Guerrero presented ambulance billing updates and the board approved incremental increases for basic and advanced-life-support base and nonemergency fees. During that discussion members corrected the proposed mileage rate mid-hearing after the chief noted a calculation error; the board amended the motion and adopted a $53 per-mile mileage fee as corrected.

Planners and building officials told the board the planning and zoning fee schedules had not been comprehensively updated in years. Town Planner Paul Foley described collapsing some per-square-foot tiers into clearer bands and adding base fees for comprehensive permits to better reflect staff review costs; the board voted to adopt the revised planning and zoning fee schedules and to send the newly created tree-hearing fee to town meeting because it is a new charge.

Other departmental changes approved included modest increases from the Board of Health (fees largely unchanged since 2016), building inspection modest adjustments, cemetery lot sales adjustments (with a new administrative weekend fee to be placed on the town-meeting warrant), and golf-course fee increases tied to contractual obligations. Licensing Agent Kelly Race presented one‑day liquor, entertainment and special-event fee hikes that the board adopted (the motion recorded one abstention). The board also directed staff to bring the newly revised film, photography and videography permit application back with a proposed film-permit fee for a town-meeting article, with several board members signaling support for a higher fee (discussion previewed a $2,000 fee).

All routine fee votes were taken individually; most passed unanimously or by the recorded yeas with occasional abstentions where noted. The board and staff emphasized that fees requiring town‑meeting approval will not take effect unless voters approve the warrant articles.

The board said the changes aim to bring local charges more in line with neighboring towns, simplify complex fee schedules and recover costs for services and permit reviews. The select board placed the larger fee changes and the film-permit article on the special town-meeting warrant for consideration in October.

The board adjourned the fee hearing portion after completing the packeted votes and moved on to other agenda items.