FALMOUTH – Falmouth Selectmen have approved a $60 processing fee associated with the town’s recently approved fingerprinting bylaw.
The new charge becomes operative at the start of next year and will affect those seeking certain municipal business licenses through the town including alcoholic beverage, ice cream, and second-hand item sales.
Doug DeCosta of the Falmouth Police Department told selectmen that this sort of bylaw and fee structure is not uncommon on the Cape.
“There’s several other Cape towns listed, there’s Barnstable, Brewster, Dennis, Harwich, Nantucket, and Yarmouth,” he explained, “they are using the same procedures, the fees vary from $25 to $100, so there is a range, a scope of what can look at.”
Falmouth’s finger print background check policy was initially approved by Town Meeting voters in April had has not been without controversy, with a number of residents suggesting that the bylaw is unnecessarily burdensome, even unconstitutional.