Selectmen unanimously approved an increase in the town's boating fees, effective this year.

Updating the waterways fees has been a topic of discussion with the Marine Advisory Board for some time, as a significant overhaul of the fee schedule hasn’t happened for years.

The new plan reflects “a more long-term plan to start repairing things and making things better on the waterfront,” said Selectman Tyler Macallister.

As the need for repairs and upgrades increases on the waterfront, the increase in fees will help pay for those needs.

Still, there was one particular aspect of the new system that met with resistance. Selectmen proposed that commercial moorings and spaces along with sticker fees be paid for by the business. That means businesses, namely Mattapoisett Boatyard and Leisure Shores Marina, would have to pay the town $200 per customer upfront, a significant cost without forewarning.

In the weeks since Selectmen presented the proposed fees, Town Administrator Mike Gagne worked out a plan with the boatyard. This year, instead of requiring them to pay the full $200, they will pay the $70 mooring fee while their customers will receive a bill for the remaining $130. Next year, however, businesses will be required to pay the full amount up front.

Barb Gaspar, who works in the town clerk’s office, said she was concerned that the new system would disrupt the town’s data collection and tax information, but Selectmen assured her that little would actually change except for the fees themselves.

Dana Barrows of Leisure Shores suggested Selectmen wait until all the kinks are worked out to adjust fees.

“There’s a lot of confusion right here in this room,” he said. “It doesn’t sound like it's ready and it’s going to create more problems.”

Selectman Jordan Collyer disagreed, though he admitted some of the confusion is due to the implementation of the fees at the “eleventh hour.”

Going forward, Selectmen said the town would work out holes in the system and clarify the pay and data structure before next year’s billing. They also said they wanted to work out a plan to make more gradual fee increases in the future.