Montgomery County waives permit, inspection fees for tornado demo, rebuilding

Jul. 31--Montgomery County Commissioners voted this week to waive fees for all permits and inspections for the demolition, repair and reconstruction of buildings damaged during Memorial Day tornadoes.

The waiver is retroactive to May 27, which includes those in the first wave of demolition and repairs, said Erik Collins, the county's community and economic development director.

But a second wave is cresting as people begin to rebuild, Collins said.

"We are just starting to see building permits come in," he said. "And one of our goals is (to) be faster to help those residents and businesses get connected in the damaged areas."

Affected property owners and businesses will still need to get permits for all demolitions, repairs and reconstruction, but won't have to pay the fees.

The waivers will remain in place through Oct. 31 to allow tornado survivors more time to settle damage claims, said Montgomery County Administrator Michael Colbert.

"We wanted to extend it out to get us into long-term recovery," Colbert said. "More and more people are starting to come out and repair post-insurance adjustment."

___

(c)2019 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at www.daytondailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.