Mayor Todd Gloria has directed the City of San Diego’s Development Services and Environmental Services Departments to waive fees for building permits, demolition permits and waste disposal, as well as reimburse recycling costs associated with the reconstruction of damaged private property. The proposed plan will be presented to City Council for consideration on Monday, Feb. 12.  

"We’ve been on the ground listening to residents and businesses impacted by the Jan. 22 storm to ensure we’re providing the most effective assistance to help them recover. Another way the City can help is by lowering the costs of rebuilding,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “These fee waivers will make things a little easier for San Diegans whose lives were changed so suddenly and dramatically by this natural disaster.” 

The draft fee waiver does not include fees for the expansion of structures over those that were destroyed or damaged, but the City will provide permit amnesty for storm victims who wish to permit and reconstruct previously unpermitted additions.  

It’s estimated that as many as 1,000 San Diego residents suffered damage to homes, businesses and personal property in the Jan. 22 storm, with a majority of them in the communities of Mountain View, Encanto, Mount Hope, Shelltown, Southcrest and Rolando. This proposed fee waiver is the latest action taken by the City to support San Diegans in the recovery efforts following unprecedented rainfall and flooding last month.  

City staff estimate the fee waiver proposal will save residents approximately $2.41 million in total.  

Additional support being proposed for residents with flood-damaged properties comes through a Debris Assistance Program, which would allow for debris-management services at no cost to eligible flooded properties. This City program, which would be coordinated through the Environmental Services Department, would provide a container or dumpster to be delivered at addresses within the impacted areas for proper handling, recycling and/or disposal of demolition waste. 

Immediately following the storm, Mayor Gloria declared a local emergency to allow for urgent coordination of emergency services, including cleaning mud and debris from streets and clearing four miles of the Chollas Creek stormwater channel. Mayor Gloria and Gov. Gavin Newsom are requesting federal disaster assistance to support the City’s recovery efforts. 

The City is also making emergency grant funding available to small businesses and nonprofits, with applications being accepted starting on Monday, Feb. 12. These grants will provide up to $2,500 per business and $5,000 for those in the Promise Zone, Opportunity Zone, or Low-Moderate Income Census Tracts.

This weekend, the City’s Local Assistance Center at the Mountain View Community Recreation Center will be open for residents in the storm-impacted communities. Hours of operation this weekend are Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.