Fee Waivers To Fire Victims Are Ballooning: Now Cost Is $5.8 Million
Written by 991KBU on June 12, 2020
Malibu is the only city on southern California that has waived all building inspection fee and plan review costs for fire rebuilding projects.
And now .. the financial cost of that is ballooning.
Originally estimated at between 3 and 4 million dollars … the cost estimate went to 4 point 2 million dollars earlier this year.
And now … city officials are guessing that the actual cost is around 5 point 8 million dollars.
And that’s if just 200 of the 382 property owners out there files for the free services.
Each property owner is in effect getting an average of 18 thousand dollars in subsidy from the city to rebuild their houses.
The city council is investing the money in rebuilding the city.
The motive … to preserve as much of the city’s population as possible … to throw a lifeline to old Malibu.
Many property owners say the fee waiver is a make or break factor in deciding whether to rebuild.
The reason for the cost blowout?
The high number of auxiliary structures and other related fees that are also being waived.… says the city.
Extending the deadlines for property owners to apply for the fee waivers goes before the city council one week from Monday.
Some homeowners say they have been delayed by insurance companies trying to screw them … they say they will not be able to get their plans in by the end of the year.
