Rental rates are going up at the Chilmark Community Center after selectmen voted to adopt a new fee structure at their meeting Tuesday evening.

The decision to raise rates follows recommendations from a three-person town committee formed in June to study the fee structure and compare it with similar buildings in other Island towns. The committee reported to the selectmen in November that Community Center rates are by far the lowest on Island. Town officials said the building is suffering from the strain of heavy use.

“There’s a certain amount of wear and tear every time someone uses the building,” committee chairman Jane Slater told the selectmen Tuesday.

“Prices have been in place for many years and the cost of maintenance to the community center has gone up exponentially,” agreed selectman Bill Rossi.

The new fees are broken down into several tiers. Most require paying a $250 refundable cleaning deposit, previously $200.

The biggest rate hike is for weddings: fees will increase from $400 to $1,000 per day for Chilmark residents and $2,000 per day for nonresidents. Additional days for setup and take-down cost $250 per day for Chilmark resident weddings, and $500 per day for others. A Chilmark resident is also required to sponsor and attend nonresident events.

“The CCC is not a wedding venue, it is a Community Center,” the new fee schedule states in part.

In keeping with past practice, there will be no fees for town and town-related events, including memorials and Chilmark School events. A small fee ranging from $50 to $100 will be charged for one-day private events, such as birthday parties and anniversaries.

Selectmen will have the discretion to grant waivers.

One sticking point Tuesday night was over a recommendation from the committee to charge $1,500 a day for large noncommercial events. Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival organizers attended the meeting to express concern that the fee hike would unfairly affect the festival. A nonprofit that operates with an artistic and educational mission, the MVFF hosts both a late winter film festival and the popular summertime Cinema Circus at the Community Center, among other activities. Until now, the town has charged $400 a day for the four-day March festival.

“We’re the only large non-commercial event so it feels specific to us,” said film festival artistic director Brian Ditchfield. “I think specifically raising our rates by this much feels punitive,” he added.

“It seems like you’re killing a goose that laid the golden egg,” said Chris Murphy, who praised the festival’s contributions to the community.

Mr. Rossi had another view.

“The intention isn’t to be punitive to any one organization,” he said. “We’re just trying to be fair.”

After discussing several alternative rate proposals, selectmen agreed to up the fee slightly for large noncommercial events to $600 per day, with $200 added for each additional day of setup and take-down. Selectmen agreed to discuss at a later meeting how to phase in more fee increases over the next few years.

The document with the new fee structure includes a brief narrative stating the history and purpose of the town community center. “Gradually the use of this building has grown beyond local town use . . . These proposed fees take into consideration these growing changes in use and reflect a need to keep the CCC traditionally town-cenetered, while opening the building to other user groups.”

A complete list of fees follows:

• Weddings, Chilmark resident/taxpayer: $1,000 per day, $250 per additional day for setup/take down.

• Weddings, nonresidents: $2,000 per day, $500 per additional day for setup/take down.

• Chilmark School and town events: No fee, $250 refundable deposit.

• Memorial events: No fee, $250 refundable deposit.

• One-day private events including parties, anniversaries, retirements: $100, $250 refundable deposit.

• Kids’ birthday parties: $50, $250 refundable deposit.

• Commercial private events: $1,500 per day, $500 per additional day for setup/take down, $500 refundable deposit.