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Commissioners extend disaster-related inspection fee waivers through fiscal year end with documentation requirement
Summary
Mitchell County commissioners voted to extend a temporary waiver of inspection fees for storm-damaged work through June 30, 2025, but asked staff to require documentation showing projects are storm-related before waiving fees.
The Mitchell County Board of Commissioners voted to extend a temporary waiver of inspection fees for storm-damaged repairs through the end of the current fiscal year, June 30, 2025, and to require documentation showing a project is storm-related before officers apply the waiver.
County staff said the initial six-month waiver had been used primarily to ease costs for small homeowners making repairs after the storm; staff reported about 250 permits were waived earlier, totaling roughly $32,164 in waived fees. The board's motion extends the waiver through the fiscal year to allow more residents time to complete repairs while giving staff direction to require documentation of storm damage — for example, an insurance claim, FEMA registration, or other proof — when it is available.
"When the inspector gets eyes on it, they're going to be able to determine if it was storm damage," a county official said. Commissioners said they favored protecting residents who had been damaged by the storm while guarding against potential misuse by those starting unrelated new construction.
The extension requires county staff to revisit the waiver policy at the start of the new fiscal year in July and report back: the board asked staff to apply reasonable proof standards and to return with recommended documentation requirements.
The motion passed by voice vote; the board did not specify any additional budget appropriation to cover the waived fees and indicated staff will continue tracking the fiscal impact.
