The Cole County Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to waive building permit fees for storm-damaged homes. A June 16 deadline has been set for tornado debris to be picked up off county-maintained roads.
The May 22 tornado that damaged thousands of buildings in Jefferson City also impacted about 600 structures outside the city in Cole County.
County Public Works Director Larry Benz asked the commission to consider waiving the building permit fees for damaged homes.
In the past, Benz said, "if someone had a home that burned, we'd waive the fees on them."
He said permits are only needed for major work on a home - not needed for only replacing a few shingles or some soffit that wind may have shorn off - and the department "would be more than glad" to have inspectors look at homes with homeowners.
The Jefferson City Council unanimously voted last week to reduce the city building permit fee to $25 for rebuilding tornado-damaged properties.
A June 16 deadline for property owners to have debris ready for removal along county-maintained roads - that's any road that's snowplowed by the county, Benz said - will let Public Works get back to mowing and road-grading work that needs to be done.
"We're trying to transition from recovery operations," Benz said.
He added the county would also like to be able to clean up the site of a debris burn pile and turn it back over to the landowner who let them use the property at no charge.
Commissioners said the June 16 date could be revisited.
Cole County Emergency Management Director Bill Farr told commissioners big issues remaining include ongoing flooding and finding places to live for people staying in the American Red Cross shelter at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
Farr said the shelter started out with 60 people staying there, decreased to 17 and currently has about 30 residents.
"We're really trying to reach out to the community to see how we can get folks placed in homes or some way to get them out of the shelter," he said.
In other business, the commissioners were told the Prenger Family Center lost a car in the tornado.
Juvenile Court Administrator Michael Couty told the News Tribune later Tuesday a tree was uprooted and smashed the side of the car, which was used for transporting juveniles. Couty said the commission would be asked next week to replace the vehicle.
Couty also said the Prenger Center lost the fence around its basketball court - insurance was looking at that - and a window unit needed new framing after the tornado pulled it out a bit.