City Council Minutes 2023 12 19 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2023 Page 4 of 8 outside of Council to help those with smoke damage remediate damage but she too will participate. Mayor Leh opened the public hearing. Director Zuccaro stated these two ordinances would extend the current City use tax exemption and the opt -out from the 2021 to the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to home repairs resulting from smoke, heat, water, ash, or other damage resulting from the Marshall Fire. The City Council previously approved similar exemptions for homes that sustained direct fire damage. There are over 1400 properties that did not sustain direct fire damage but did have significant damage from smoke, heat, or other fire issues. These homes have unique financial challenges with insurance and other repair issues. These ordinances extends the same exemptions those with direct fire damage received to those who did not have direct burn damage. To qualify, the applicant has to have been the property owner at the time of the fire, must apply for a permit by the end of 2024, and attest on the application that they are seeking the exemption due to financial hardship due to inadequate insurance coverage. This is the same as those with fire damage. Councilmember Hamlington asked if a homeowner has already completed work if they can still qualify. Director Zuccaro stated they can apply for a credit of the use taxes. Public Comments Tawnya Samaroo, Louisville, pooling time with Kahlil Somauroo, urged approval of the two ordinances. She noted the hardship many people have faced repairing smoke damaged homes. The toxicity of the damage is significant and these homeowners face the same insurance shortfalls as fire survivors. Reducing the use tax for these residents helps them stay in the community. Geoffrey Hart, Louisville, reviewed the extensive smoke damage his home received. His insurance company has been very difficult to work with and offered very little coverage but the house is not safe to live in until the damage is remediated. He urged a yes vote. Jeri Curry, Marshall ROC, urged a yes vote citing the damage people have suffered. She noted many people are questioning if the damage is real or if they are deserving of help. She stated the lack of industry standards for remediation has made this much harder for people. It has been very discouraging for these residents. Any help is appreciated. Tamara Chagalla, Louisville, stated she has a severely smoke damaged home and stated it would have been better if it had burned because the insurance companies