SPRINGDALE -- The City Council voted Monday night to refund half of the cost of residential building licenses paid to the city by victims of the March 30 tornado.
The permits were required for residents to repair storm damage to their homes.
Mike Chamlee, director of the city's Building Department, said the city has issued 22 permits -- costing $7,620 total -- to residents needing to repair their homes after the storm. The council's decision will see the city reimburse $3,810 to residents.
Council members Randall Harriman and Mike Lawson voted against the measure. Amelia Williams, Kevin Flores, Mark Fougerousse, Mike Overton, Jeff Watson and Brian Powell voted for the measure.
Lawson said he voted against the measure because insurance companies pay that fee for their customers.
Overton noted many of those homeowners found out they were grossly underinsured.
The council, working in committees July 18, considered the measure after Matthew Mendenhall asked the city to consider lowering the cost of building permits for tornado victims. The city required $1,360 from him to obtain a permit for construction of repairs.
The council later could take steps to permanently lower the costs of permits under disaster declarations, said Ernest Cate, city attorney.
Chamlee said the cost of a building permit depends on the size of the project.
Before the vote to reimburse half of the costs of the permits, the council rejected a vote for lowering them by a third or 33%. Overton, Watson and Harriman voted for that measure.
Williams and Flores wondered if that amount would be enough to help people, and Williams suggested 50%.
Mayor Doug Sprouse noted an anonymous donor paid the building fees of low-income residents who suffered storm damage.
"I say this because there are good people in Springdale," Sprouse said. "And it's important we are reminded of what kind of community we live in."
Ten of the permits issued cost $100 or less, Chamlee said. Most were in the Woodridge Estates Mobile Home Park, and two of those projects are completed, he said.
Other permits mostly ranged from $400 to $600, he said.
Chamlee reported owners of about six homes damaged in the storm have not applied for permits.
Chamlee said the cost of the building permit mostly pays "people costs," for members of his staff to process applications and inspect the building projects several times.