Columbia County board waives flood-related permit fees through May 1, 2026

The Columbia County Board adopted a temporary waiver of permit fees for flood-damaged properties during a special meeting March 23, 2026. A county staff member proposed waiving building permit fees, flood‑plain permits and emergency shoreline exemption application fees for damage resulting from the March 13 flooding; the board approved the measure as Resolution 2026-06 and the motion carried.

County staff said the waiver would run from the date of the meeting until 05/01/2026 and applies only to permits for work directly related to flood damage. "We would be waiving the permit fees for building permits, flood plains, and emergency shore lane exemption application fees," the staff member said, adding that separate remodeling projects (for example, a kitchen remodel done at the same time as flood repairs) would not be covered.

A committee member who moved the resolution clarified the limitation: if a homeowner wants to rebuild a flood‑damaged garage, the county will waive the permit fee for that repair, but a separate permit for unrelated remodeling would still incur fees. The chair called the question and the motion carried; the transcript records 'Aye' and 'Motion carries' but does not include a detailed vote tally.

County officials said the waiver is intended to avoid adding financial burden to residents already coping with flood damage. The board did not discuss extending the waiver beyond the stated 05/01/2026 effective date during the meeting.

The board's action was procedural and limited to fee waivers; no grants, direct cash assistance or permanent changes to fee schedules were adopted at the meeting.