LIVERMORE FALLS — The Livermore Falls Select Board on Dec. 16 discussed cannabis licensing fees as part of its review of the proposed 2026 fee schedule, focusing on the town’s high density of cannabis businesses and the cost of regulating them.

The board approved the Mend North Cannabis license renewal before moving on to the 2026 fee schedule discussion, including potential updates to licensing and renewal fees for medical cannabis operations.

Bryce Cobb, Livermore Falls’ code enforcement officer, plumbing inspector, health officer and E-911 addressing officer, told the board the proposed changes were largely “housekeeping” measures aimed at recovering the actual costs of administration and enforcement.

Cobb said he was reviewing four areas for possible fee adjustments: medical cannabis licensing, solar energy systems, CEO review and site plan review. He began with medical cannabis, noting that Livermore Falls has a “very high concentration of cannabis businesses relative to the town size.”

“These businesses generate ongoing code enforcement officer, fire, police and administrative workload,” Cobb said. “Maine law allows municipalities to set licensing fees that recover the actual cost of oversight and administration.”

He said the goal of the proposed changes was cost recovery, emphasizing that staff time spent regulating cannabis businesses is currently paid for by taxpayers.

“Without the adequate licensing fees, the cost for regulating this private industry is on taxpayers,” Cobb said.

Cobb presented three fee options for the board to consider. Under the current structure, the initial marijuana license fee is $1,500, with renewals set at $1,000 for retail and $1,500 for manufacturing and cultivation, charged per license type.

The first option proposed a moderate increase, setting initial fees at $2,500 and renewals at $2,000. A mid-range option would raise initial fees to $3,000 and renewals to $2,500. A third option aimed at stronger cost recovery would set initial fees at $5,000 and renewals at $4,000.

“I don’t think enough time has been spent on the cannabis businesses in previous times,” Cobb said. “It takes a lot of my time. I can devote hours to that. And it’s just a thought to recover those costs and relate it to other towns.”

Cobb said he did not have exact figures available for neighboring communities such as Wilton, Turner and Manchester, but said Livermore Falls is on the low end when compared to other municipalities. He cited higher fees in other Maine communities, including Lamoine at $20,000 and Auburn at $10,000.

He also pointed to the town’s ordinance, which includes extensive regulation. “If we have amendments to that that create more regulation, it’s more time, and again, subsidized by taxpayers right now,” Cobb said.

Asked about staff time required, Cobb said an initial application and site plan review can take significantly more effort than a renewal. “To do my job to the fullest extent … at least 20 hours, to really do the job I think people want,” he said.

During the same discussion, Cobb noted that the density of cannabis shops in Livermore Falls is among the highest in the state and said he could provide exact figures at a future meeting.

The board also briefly discussed other sections of the fee schedule, including solar energy systems. Cobb said many solar projects are multimillion-dollar developments and current fees represent only a fraction of overall project costs.

Following discussion, the Select Board voted to table the 2026 fee schedule, including cannabis licensing fees, until the next meeting to allow time to gather comparative information from neighboring towns. The motion passed unanimously.