Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–The City of Dayton passed Resolution No. 1411 and Columbia County Commissioners passed Resolution 2020-13, both approving to waive fees for building permits for victims of flood temporarily until April 1, 2020. These resolutions were recommended by the Local Building and Planning staff.

Permits are still required to ensure safety, but the usual fee will not be charged in cases where the permit is for construction and repair work due to damage caused by the February 6, 2020 flood event, and is allowable to restore to pre-flood conditions. The purpose is to help alleviate the burden of cost and expedite the recovery process.

Permits are not required unless it's for superstructure which is damage to the integrity of the support. City residents are subject to an inspection by city, and county residents, by the county. These inspections will help determine whether a permit is needed and if the constructions qualifies for the waiver. Officials will prioritize permits for flood repair, and will make compliance as simple as possible according to Meagan Bailey, Certified Floodplain Manager Director, Planning and Community Development.

Bailey stated in a recent press release "These permits are required as part of local government participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Participation in this program provides eligibility for flood insurance, flood disaster assistance, state and federal grants and loans, and buyout funds for frequently flooded areas. Compliance with the requirements of this program ensures ongoing eligibility to participate. Local and federal floodplain management ordinances require that permits be obtained for any construction or development activity in a floodplain area, including the repair or reconstruction of structures damaged by a disaster."

"Special conditions apply to substantially damaged buildings–those in which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure's pre-disaster market value," Bailey continued. "If a building is found to be substantially damaged, regulations require that repairs not begin until compliance with the local floodplain ordinance is demonstrated. In some cases, that may require repairs that include elevating or flood proofing the structure to reduce the potential for future flood damage and loss."

"More information on substantial damage is available at Dayton City Hall, Columbia County Planning and Building and online through FEMA.gov.," according to Bailey. "If a building is determined to be substantially damaged, flood insurance may also provide up to $30,000 to protect the structure from future flooding through a claims process known as ICC (Increased Cost of Compliance). State and federal assistance may be available to property owners to reduce the chances of future flood damage. Mitigation assistance may cover costs of relocation, or for elevating or purchasing flood damaged structures."