The Inland Wetlands Agency is proposing new permit fees to ensure the town recovers its expenses for required legal notices and state fees. The agency will hold a public hearing for the changes on June 1.
Prior to the public hearing, the fees will be reviewed by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. And because the current fees are cited in the ordinance governing the agency, the changes must receive town meeting approval.
Proposed changes include a $60 base fee and a $275 charge for substantial activity.
Wetlands Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik said the proposed fees will vary with location—whether in a wetland or an Upland Review Area—and with the intensity of the disturbance. Increasing fees proportionally for wetland and upland review areas is intended to discourage applicants from activity in sensitive areas.
After-the-fact permit fees will also be proposed: $150 for a residential use and $300 for a commercial property. After-the-fact permits are sought when the property owner has already done the work without IWA approval.