The City of St. Petersburg is reminding residents that a permit is required for repairs and reconstruction of homes damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Property owners who sustained flood damage are subject to additional requirements through the city’s 49 percent rule, which is in place to ensure access to federal dollars and rebates.

Permits are required for all repairs, including interior work on things like drywall, flooring, doors, cabinets and trim. The city is waiver of permit fees through March 29, including application and inspection fees, for demolition and repair projects on hurricane-damaged properties.

The permits are required to ensure safety, but also to maintain the city’s access to federally backed flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is available to all city residents. If the city does not comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements, it could risk losing access to FEMA grants and other disaster assistance and the 25 percent discount on NFIP policies for residents.

For property owners who have experienced flood damage, it is important to understand the city’s 49% rule.

Simply put, if the cost of repairs and improvements to a structure equals or exceeds 49% of the structure’s market value, it must meet all current zoning, building, and floodplain management regulations, which may include elevation requirements of the structure, implementation. flood containment measures or adhere to other flood protection standards established by city ordinance and federal guidelines.

The city will host an information session on Nov. 8 to help residents better understand the rule and how it affects their recovery. The session will take place virtually at noon. Details on how to access the session will be available on a new release landing page the city established specifically for the 49% rule.

The information comes as the city continues its difficult process of removing the debris. As of Friday at 5 p.m., the city had collection almost 420,000 cubic meters of debris.

Speaking at a City Council meeting on Thursday, the executive director of the Division of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie praised the city’s debris collection efforts.

“St. Pete is leading the way in making this happen by cutting red tape and saying we’re going to do the right thing by our residents,” Guthrie said, noting the city uses local private haulers to help.

The city has set Jan. 11 as the deadline to remove all debris from city curbs.

Post Views: 0