Valleywide : City to Continue to Waive Rebuilding Fees

Saying many victims of the Northridge earthquake are still making repairs, the Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to continue waiving permit fees normally charged to rebuild structures until June 30, 1996.

Since the Jan. 17, 1994, quake, the city has waived $20 million worth of permits and has been reimbursed for the loss by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state. The current waiver was expected to expire on Friday. The city expects to waive another $16 million before the program is over.

City officials agreed to continue to waive the fees for another seven months, with the assurance that FEMA would continue to reimburse the city for the lost revenue.

To qualify for the waiver, the building owner must prove that the damage that is being repaired was caused by the Northridge earthquake. The waiver does not extend to improvements, such as rooms added to quake-damaged buildings.