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Select Board restores Libby barge fee to $3,000 per company after weeks of debate
Summary
After extensive public comment and operator testimony, the Wolfeboro Select Board voted to set the commercial barge landing fee at $3,000 per barge company for the 2026 season and to pause other fee increases while staff develops a longer-term policy.
Paul O’Brien, chair of the Wolfeboro Select Board, opened a long public discussion about commercial-vessel fees that drew barge operators, dock businesses and residents to Tuesday’s meeting. The board voted to reinstate a $3,000 annual commercial barge landing fee per company for the Libby dock for the coming year. The motion to restore the $3,000 fee was made by a Selectman and carried on a roll-call vote, with one abstention.
Supporters of the lower fee said the existing account—built up over previous seasons—already covers needed maintenance. “We have enough in that account to repair and maintain the dock,” Luke Frydenberg, identified as representing a dock company, told the board, adding that operators have used the funds to repair pilings, riprap and other infrastructure. Nearby business owners and operators also said high fees risk driving providers to neighboring towns, which would shift maintenance burdens back to taxpayers.
Others urged careful, transparent fee-setting tied to cost recovery. Several residents and operators recommended a methodology tied to replacement cost and anticipated useful life: spread the verified repair/replacement cost across the users and recover it over a defined period. Sebastian Tortonado, responding to the board, recommended that town staff “tether fees to the cost of replacement and recover that cost over the useful life of the asset.”
After extended discussion about whether to charge per vessel or per company—and a review of the account balance and projected replacement needs—the board voted to return to the prior practice for 2026: $3,000 per barge company. The roll call recorded the motion as passing with a majority and one abstention. Chair O’Brien said the action was intended to provide clarity for operators while staff and the board work on a multi-year policy during a summer work session.
Next steps: the board directed staff to schedule a public work session this summer to craft clearer, long-term rules and a fee schedule tied to documented costs and usage. The board also asked staff to report back with a recommended communication plan so operators and the public have clarity before the 2027 season.
