People who want to rebuild homes and properties damaged by last week’s floods will be exempt from county permit fees, Snohomish County has decided.
The County Council voted 5-0 Monday to approve emergency fee exemptions.
“We don’t want fees to be something that discourages people from working with us,” said Craig Ladiser, county director of planning and development services.
County permits might be required for reconstruction projects, and some state permits might still require fees, Ladiser said.
People should discuss projects with county planners before starting anything that would require permits, such as home repairs and earth-moving, he said.
Flood victims are also exempt from environmental review required under the State Environmental Policy Act, officials said.
A similar move after the smaller 2003 floods cost the county about $50,000 in lost permit fees, officials said. The lost revenue is mostly the cost of staff time.
The county receives about $20 million in permit fees each year, Ladiser said.
Officials don’t know how many homes or properties were damaged in the floods. An estimated 100 homes were damaged in the Granite Falls area. Figures are pending for the Skykomish River system in Index and Sultan and along the Snohomish River in Monroe and Snohomish.
For permit information, call 425-388-3411.
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