The Boothbay Harbor selectboard unanimously approved an updated fee schedule June 23, which increased the prices of several permits and applications.  

This includes demolition permits increasing from $25 to $100, outdoor festival permits $200 to $300, subsurface waste discharge $250 to $450, and a board of appeals application $250 to $500 (not including additional legal and advertising charges). For non-residents, the notary public fee was raised from $5 flat to $5 plus $1 per page.  

According to Town Manager Julia Latter, these increases reflect rising staffing costs, legal fees and advertising as Maine law requires permits and legal notices to be printed in local newspapers.  

In other action, the “Future of Our Schools” committee received approval from the selectboard to continue looking into the possibility of a 9-16 school, on the condition Latter would review the grant application.  

As previously reported in the Boothbay Register, this application is for the Maine Department of Education’s Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Educational Facilities Program, which would “(regionalize) two or more high schools in combination with a Career and Technical Education school, the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System, and industry partnerships," according to the DOE website. If approved, the project would receive state funding.   

Selectman Ken Rayle, who is also a member of “Future of Our Schools,” said a local facility could distinguish itself from Bath Tech by offering unique programs, such as agriculture, landscaping, marine services, ocean research and food service, among others. 

“It may be appealing to the state to be able to fund a specific educational center where these subjects, which are so important to (the Maine economy), can be taught,” he explained.  

In other business, Selectman Mike Tomko reported he’d been meeting with the joint Boothbay- Boothbay Harbor Veterans Memorial Committee about creating a memorial either on Boothbay Common or an adjacent area. They are waiting to hear back from landscape architects Richard & Associates and Context By Design, for suggestions.