PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — For months, families have been waiting to repair their homes after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
But now, people on Treasure Island are finally getting the green light.
The city started a new permit issuing process about a month ago, and now permits are being issued faster.
"Devastating…I mean, I've been here for 30 plus years and never had a drop of water in my house...and I come in and I see three feet and I see everything turned upside down," said George Williams who lives on Treasure Island.
Williams said hurricanes Helene and Milton uprooted his family's life for months.
"My wife was going crazy…she said 'What are we doing? We are living on our second and third floor?" said Williams.
After months of waiting, he finally received his permit to repair his home at the end of February.
"I took it back for the third time…and I go in there with it and they looked at it and within an hour and a half, they gave it to me…I thought I was going to have to come back again. I was shocked," said Williams.
It's all because of a new permitting process the City of Treasure Island began about a month ago.
The city created two teams to help review and approve permits faster.
"We were seeing numbers of 75 to 80 people coming in on Tuesdays and Thursdays back in January…that number of people has decreased to 40…so half of the amount of people are showing up," said Thomas Brennan, Treasure Island Deputy Fire Chief.
Brennan has been working with the new permitting team.
He said so far 82% of permits have been issued, and the city is now working on the last 18%.
"We are maintaining a good pace of reviewing the permits…people aren't waiting a long period of time any longer," he said.
Although the permit process has been a long one, residents tell me they are glad to see Treasure Island making progress.
"Suddenly we are getting them…its just wonderful…I wish they would have started earlier. My house would have been complete by now but I'm just happy that I'm working on it right now and getting it done," said Williams.
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