Columbia City Council passes flood-related ordinances on first reading

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — The Columbia City Council passed first readings on three ordinances Monday night. They’re meant to help you rebuild after historic flooding last month. “We’re just trying to make sure the timeline we can control, local and city, is as favorable to homeowners and business owners as possible,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin says. The first two ordinances waive fees associated with construction permits and business licenses associated with flood recovery. The third ordinance- a five year look-back- changes the way we look back at five years worth of improvements to a home, to make it easier for a house to be considered “substantially damaged.” “You take their market value and you deduct any of their improvements off so it lowers their number that would get to the 50 percent, so anything we can do to help them rebuild,” District IV Councilwoman Leona Plaugh says. It’s all about maximizing that FEMA money. Though, council members want to be sure it will not trigger any harmful possibilities under FEMA regulations, and the wide spectrum in home values out there. City staff has a little more than a week to consider the damage city homeowners are faced with, and sift through all the regulations. Mayor Benjamin says they’re moves looking forward, toward a stronger, smarter-built Columbia.