Select Board schedules May 12 hearing on emergency ordinance to sustain Wells EMS through fiscal 2026

The Wells Select Board voted May 5 to schedule a public hearing on May 12 to consider an emergency ordinance that would appropriate funds from the town’s undesignated fund balance to sustain Wells Emergency Medical Services (WEMS) through the end of fiscal year 2026.

Town staff member Leah, who prepared the draft ordinance, told the board the town charter allows emergency appropriations when a matter involves ‘‘life, health, [or] safety,’’ and that sustaining emergency medical services fits that definition. Leah said the ordinance is being considered at a public hearing before any enactment.

The draft ordinance would authorize one-time appropriations from the undesignated fund balance to cover operating shortfalls through the fiscal year. Leah said details are published in the proposed ordinance and that board members and the public can review the whereas clauses and the specific ask before the hearing.

Board members pressed for next steps beyond short-term funding. One board member urged the Select Board to tie the emergency funding to a timeline for bringing EMS operations under town oversight, describing that move as a way to reduce long‑term uncertainty. The board did not adopt any operational directive at the May 5 meeting; it only scheduled the hearing.

The Select Board set the public hearing for 4 p.m. on May 12, 2026, in the Littlefield meeting room at 208 Sanford Road. The motion to schedule the hearing carried unanimously.

If approved after the public hearing and any required readings, the ordinance would provide temporary funding through the end of FY 2026; the board and staff said longer‑term decisions about the structure and oversight of emergency medical services will require additional work and possible future votes.