Pools, Patios Among Projects Spurred by City Incentive

A solar system, five swimming pools and 10 patio covers are among projects for which permit fees stand to be waived by the

Permits for a total of 31 projects were pulled during the city's Home Incentive Improvement Program, held for six days in July. Its purpose was to stimulate construction acivity, create jobs, produce sales tax, increase property values and highlight the importance of obtaining proper permits, according to Allen Brock, building and safety director.

Homeowners and contractors who applied for a new residential building permit during that six-day window will be refunded incurred permit fees upon completion of their projects.

Brock said a refund for one project, an aluminum patio cover, has already been issued.

Another eight projects were HVAC replacements, which was big, Brock said, because local company WC Heating & Air Conditioning offered a $500 discount off their price--on top of the permit refund offered by the city.

Brock deemed the inaugural program a success.

"I wasn't sure what to expect because we haven't done this before," Brock said. "But I have a really good staff--they took the bull by the horns."

The program's success was not measured by how many permits were pulled, but by construction valuation. Despite July being one of the traditionally slow months, about $332,000 was pumped into the local economy, Brock said.

"It is a sizeable chunk--that money is in materials and labor, and people improving their home values."

Compared to last July, Brock said it brought at least a 300-percent increase in activity.

Councilman Alan Long was instrumental in getting the program going, and, along with Brock, is already mentally planning for next year.

"I'd offer more incentives and do it over a longer period of time," Long said.

Long said the program was an example of "government working to put money back into taxpayers' pockets."

This was achieved by also requiring that materials were purchased locally and that the work went to local contractors, he said.

"It was extremely successful for the amount of time we offered it and for the time we had to prepare for it," Long said.