PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Jennifer Judy is still trying to get a permit to fix her flood-damaged house in the Gulf Harbors community of New Port Richey.
“I was here several weeks ago to fill out the forms and I still don’t have it,” she said.
The latest form she had to fill out is called ‘notice of commencement’.
“How would you describe this whole process,” I asked her.
“Frustrating. Extremely frustrating,” she said.
Earlier this week, others in Gulf Harbor told me about their frustrations with the permitting process.
To make sure their voices were heard, we went to Pasco County’s interim assistant county administrator JP Murphy.
He said there were more than 13,000 affected structures on the west side of US 19 alone.
And to keep coverage through the national flood insurance program and other federal funding, the county has to do damage assessments on every home before permits can be approved.
“It is the local regulations we have to follow and we are trying to do it as fast and as efficiently as possible because ultimately we want Pasco to get back to the great place and be a premier location,” said Murphy.
If the cost to fix a home is 49% or more of the value, that house is considered ‘substantially damaged’ and has to be elevated and rebuilt to above flood levels.
Not complying could also mean homeowners losing access to federally regulated mortgages.
"We want people to rebuild their homes. In fact, you know we have our own teammates who live in a lot of these areas. We have over 300 employees that have been affected living in this area. Everybody wants to work together to make sure these folks can get back in their homes,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the county is doing its best to keep up with the demand for permits. They doubled the amount workers on the inspection team and set up pop-permitting stations, like the one in New Port Richey where we found Jennifer.
“I think we should have had a better plan. I know Pasco really hasn’t been hit in a long time. I mean I’ve been there 28 years and I’ve never had water in my house or even close to my house. I feel like we were kind of caught off guard as far as making sure this permit process goes a little faster,” said Judy.
The county says having to go back and forth with reviewers can delay the process. So before you apply for a permit, make sure to accurately describe costs and include pictures.
