The Wauwatosa Common Council has scheduled a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at City Hall to take up several agenda items, including a proposal to waive building permit fees for city property owners making repairs to their flood-damaged properties.
More than 500 residents and more than 50 businesses in the city were affected by the Aug. 9 and 10 storms and flooding, according to the city's initial estimate.
Mark Hammond, the city's development director, said in a memo to the council that those property owners normally would be expected to pay the city fees when conducting repairs and renovations that require building permits. Many other communities have waived such fees when facing the aftermath of similar natural disasters.
"The Development Department recommends that the Common Council waive permit fees for flood-related repairs for a defined period of 90 days," Hammond wrote. "This action will reduce financial stress for affected property owners, accelerate recovery, and demonstrate the city’s commitment to supporting residents and businesses during an emergency event."
Hammond estimated that reducing those fees to $0 during the post-flood period would not have a significant impact on city finances, because most of the projects presumably would not have occurred if not for the damages caused by the flooding.
The agenda of the Aug. 26 also includes the presentation of a report on the city's response to the flooding, which caused an estimated $9 million in damage to city-owned public infrastructure and recreational facilities. Hart Park, one of the facilities hit hardest when the Menomonee River overflowed its banks, began reopening last week, though the football stadium and other parts of the park remain closed for long-term repairs. City officials have not announced how long they expect those repairs will take.
The agenda of the Aug. 26 special council meeting includes two other items: a change to the council's schedule to add a Sept. 9 meeting, and a resolution by which the city would join a proposed national opioid settlement against Purdue Pharma L.P. and Sackler Family.
