After Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year, the city of St. Petersburg, much like other municipalities impacted, waived certain permitting fees for residents repairing damaged property.
The city was able to do so because it was under a declared state of emergency. Now, Mayor Ken Welch’s administration wants those waivers to remain an option even when the declared emergency is over.
Members of St. Pete City Council will consider an ordinance Thursday amending Chapter 12 of the City Code to allow the city building official to waive certain fees for Post Disaster Emergency Permits (PDEP).
The measure is being presented on first reading, which means it will still require additional approval even if successful. But it’s expected that the City Council will be supportive of the measure as an effort to promote storm recovery in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Post-storm property damage often requires significant construction, such as demolition, repairs or reconstruction. The agenda item outlining the administration’s request notes that doing that work without permits at all could increase risks to public safety, reduce property values or jeopardize Federal Emergency Management Agency Community Rating Systems benefits, which lower flood insurance rates in the city.
“During previous emergencies, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Mayor exercised emergency powers to waive permit fees to encourage compliance. However, this required maintaining extended local states of emergency solely to sustain fee waivers,” the agenda notes.
“By codifying the Building Official’s authority to waive such fees, the City can shorten emergency declarations while still promoting safe, permitted reconstruction.”
The administration says the ordinance change would “increase the likelihood that work will be performed with permits after emergencies.” The additional flexibility would also “help the City and citizens during the rebuilding and recovery stage post-emergency.”
The proposed ordinance change would only apply to PDEPs.
The fee waivers would apply to initial permit fees, as well as to fees incurred for beginning work before a permit was obtained. Currently, anyone who begins work before obtaining a permit faces a fee twice that as the original permitting fee for a first offense, three times as much for a second offense, and up to four times as much for subsequent offenses.
The amendment would not cause the city to incur additional regulatory costs, but there could be a reduction in city revenue associated with waived fees, according to a business impact statement.
The City Council meets to discuss the item and other scheduled business at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. If approved, the measure would move to second reading at a future date.