Commission extends waiver of hurricane‑related permit fees amid public appeals for broader outreach

A resident urged the Burke County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 17 to extend the county’s permit‑fee waiver for storm‑related repairs and to improve public outreach after Hurricane Helene. The board subsequently voted 5–0 to continue waiving fees for Helene‑related permits and to correct a date typo in the adopted resolution.

Lauren Van Riper told the board that many homeowners remain unable to rebuild because they were unaware of a short waiver window, faced insurance denials, contractor shortages and high water levels that limited access. She said permit and waiver deadlines opened sometime after Oct. 6 and ended Dec. 31 and that counties were required to post refund availability but that she could not find notification on Burke County’s website or social channels. Van Riper said that out of 517 permits issued in the three months after the storm, only five were for dock repairs and that access, contractor capacity and high water hindered recovery.

Alan Glines of the community development office told commissioners that the department began waiving fees immediately after the storm and has tracked about 400 hurricane‑related permits; he said other Western North Carolina jurisdictions have continued fee waivers and that Burke County can continue doing so at the board’s pleasure. At the meeting commissioners noted a typographical date error in the draft resolution; staff confirmed the intended extension date is Dec. 31, 2025 and said they would correct the resolution language and return any collected fees where appropriate.

The board voted 5–0 to adopt the corrected waiver extension resolution. Staff said they will continue to track storm‑related permits, return any improperly collected fees and consider improving county outreach to ensure homeowners are aware of available relief.