With tens of thousands displaced, officials are concerned that the cost of buying building permits and other associated documents will delay or deter reconstruction. This morning, the Butte County Board of Supervisors considers a work around, and other issues.
A proposal the board considers this morning would waive permit fees under certain conditions. But, the free permits would only happen if the county finds a way to get paid anyway, presumably from federal, state or non-profit sources.
If approved, the program would only apply in unincorporated areas. County officials estimate that just 40 percent fire victims would even try to rebuild over the next four years.
Three quarters of them should have enough insurance, FEMA or Small Business Administration cash to buy their own permits. The other quarter, representing just one in ten those who lost their home in unincorporated areas, are expected to need help
A building permit for a single family home permit in Butte County costs $4,000. Associated permits for surveys, wells, septics, encroachment permits, impact fees and other costs, push that figure above $6,300.
Officials have requested $1.7 million dollars from the North Valley Community Foundation, or NVCF, to cover the expected total. NVCF is a local non-profit organization that has been collecting contributions for wildfire victims.
In other fire-related business, officials will consider prohibiting the installation of manufactured homes more than a decade old within official fire hazard areas, partly closing a loophole.
Ballooning pension responsibilities are another issue the board may address. Official projections show the county’s financial obligations rising 57 percent by the year 2
The board will also consider performance evaluations of top officials and receive an update on the county’s suit against PG&E in closed session.
The meeting gets underway this morning at 9.