In all of the U.S. can you top this?

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A proposed new fee schedule for inland wetland certificates and permits will allow the town to recoup almost 100 percent of Conservation Department expenses. The Conservation Commission voted Thursday to hold a June 26 public hearing on the new fees, which, if approved, would go into effect July 1. Increasing the fees was prompted by the Board of Finance's move in March to slash Conservation Director salary by $50,000 a measure meant to send a message that the fees should be increased. The finance board later reversed its decision, in anticipation of the fee boosts. In the last fiscal year, the cost of processing wetlands applications totaled about $280,000. The town now only recovers about 19 percent of that amount. With the new fees, subcommittee on the fees, said the town would collect about $272,000.

"We're projecting, using the 2001 and 2002 permits," the subcommittee's estimate. It does not include permits done for town projects. The subcommittee incorporated changes previously proposed in 1999, but which were never adopted or acted on. Under the proposed new fee structure, there would be five categories for certificates and permits, and two separate schedules. The first would apply to smaller scale projects; the second to larger projects. For a small project, fees would be $50 per the first 1,000 square feet of regulated area, and $160 for larger developments. Those fees are in addition to use fees of $640 for construction plus $480 per additional unit of construction or demolition. For new construction, the use fee would be $960 plus $960 per additional unit of construction plus $960 per additional unit of construction as well as $480 per unit of demolition. When permits are approved, a $2,890 fee would be due within 20 days. The proposed new fee schedule must also be reviewed by the state Department of Environmental Protection. .