Omaha officials waiving fees as residents rebuild after tornadoes

Omaha-area residents planning to rebuild their homes and businesses damaged during the April 26 tornadoes will not have to pay building permit fees.

The Omaha City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to waive the fees for permits and inspections.

Updated information presented to the council by Douglas County GIS Administrator Mike Schonlau showed there were 834 reports of property damage, ranging from destroyed to sustaining damage.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts said during a press call he toured some of the damage following the storms, and thanked the volunteers helping with cleanup efforts.

More than 1,900 properties had been inspected as of Tuesday, including 689 in the Omaha city limits, 1,000 in the three-mile zoning jurisdiction, 44 in unincorporated areas of Douglas County and 155 in Bennington.

A press release stated the waiver applies to properties within the city limits and also outside the city within a three-mile zoning jurisdiction. Omaha municipal code allows the fee waiver in the event a tornado causes extensive damage.

Omaha Superintendent for Permits and Inspections Anna Bespoyasny advised homeowners that a license is required for any building contractor to do work in the city limits, or the three-mile zoning jurisdiction.

Omaha officials are also informing area residents that following last week’s storms, three outdoor warning sirens in Douglas County are currently inoperable. Those sirens are located at 58th and L streets, 138th Street and Ames Avenue and 168th and State streets.

As cleanup efforts continue, the Douglas County Board recently approved waiving fees for storm-related debris dropped off at the Pheasant Point Landfill through Saturday, May 4. The landfill has also extended hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through May 4.

As residents affected by the storms rebuild, the Nebraska Insurance Department is reminding them to keep all receipts for emergency repairs and to work closely with their insurance company when starting the claims process.

“I urge you to exercise caution, thoroughly review any documents before signing them, and maintain close communication with your insurer, but also, please remember we are here to assist you,” Nebraska Insurance Department Director Eric Dunning said in a press release. “Reach out to the Department if you need any help.”

A press release from the department warned that people are sometimes offered a post-loss assignment, which grants all rights and duties of the claims process to a public adjuster or contractor. These assignments may result in the policyholder being financially responsible for paying any difference between the contractor and the insurance payout.

As a result of the damage caused by the recent storms, the Nebraska Department of Revenue’s Property Assessment Division announced that a report of destroyed real property may be filed with the county assessor and the county clerk until Monday, July 15.

The report allows the county board of equalization to adjust the assessed value to reflect the damage done to the property.