Palm Bay Task Force Backs Homestead Permit Fee Break for Home Hardening

Palm Bay's Citizens Accountability Task Force unanimously recommended Thursday night, Oct. 8, that City Council adopt a Homestead Resiliency and Repair Permit Fee Reduction Program for qualifying homeowners.

Under the staff proposal reviewed at the meeting, homesteaded residential properties in the city would receive a 100 percent reduction of eligible City Building Department permit fees for doors, windows, exterior remodels, roofs, air-conditioning systems, and generators. State surcharges and fees tied to zoning, floodplain review, or other city functions outside the Building Enterprise Fund would still be due. Staff said ownership and homestead checks already fit into the normal permit process and projected about $578,000 a year less revenue to the Building Enterprise Fund, which holds an estimated balance of about $8.3 million. A one-time upgrade to the city's permitting system to track the program was estimated at about $30,000.

The board amended its recommendation so the program would follow state home-hardening guidelines, then voted unanimously. Staff told members they would prepare a resolution for City Council. The program is not yet city policy; Council would have to approve it.