PALM BAY, FL (The Palm Bayer) — If your home was damaged in the flooding, the City of Palm Bay is waiving building permit fees for residential flood-related repairs. Two charges still apply, the Florida State Surcharge and the Collection & Disposal (C&D) charges; every other building permit fee is waived for eligible residents.
To qualify, submit photographs documenting the flood damage with your permit application. Deputy City Manager Jason DeLorenzo, on November 12: “They don’t have to be in the floodplain or anything like that. They send some photos, and building is verifying.” The permit itself is still required, so contact the Building Department before beginning repairs: (321) 953-8924 or permitinfo@palmbayfl.gov.
No end date for the waiver has been published anywhere. The Palm Bayer’s analysis: that may be deliberate, because a fixed deadline would expire first on the homeowners waiting longest in the contractor queue.
Debris collection starts tomorrow
Citywide disaster debris collection begins tomorrow, Saturday, November 14, starting in the Northeast, then citywide. Two passes are planned; the first takes several days. Sort debris into six separate piles at the curb in the public right-of-way. The six categories are vegetative debris; construction and demolition debris; appliances/white goods; electronics; household hazardous waste; and regular household garbage. Do not bag disaster debris, and keep piles clear of roadways, sidewalks, driveways, and storm drains, and away from mailboxes, fire hydrants, utility equipment, trees, and power lines.
Boil water: all clear
Every precautionary boil water notice in Palm Bay has been rescinded, all 19 ranges. Nobody in the city needs to boil water for this event anymore.
Report your damage; the federal decision is still pending
Brevard County collects damage reports through its CrisisTrack self-report form. The form is not an application for assistance; it is the damage count. About 2,600 self-reports had been filed as of November 9 and 10 reporting. The state submitted its federal major disaster declaration request on November 9. The Governor’s November 9 request letter names Brevard among nine counties and asks for individual assistance for residents, along with public assistance and mitigation funding. Presidential approval is still pending, and no FEMA assistance is open yet.
The county’s Multi-Agency Resource Centers are still open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM, at the Tony Rosa Community Center in Palm Bay and in West Melbourne.
Disaster Relief: the waitlist is the way in
The Disaster Relief Program remains open to homeowners: about $1 million in SHIP funds redirected by the council on November 5, eligible repair costs up to $80,000, a primary residence within city limits, and applying means joining a waitlist through the pre-qualification form at palmbayfl.gov/housing. Our November 12 article carries the eligibility rules, the caps, and the lien.
A word of caution on contractors
The city warns about predatory contractors: get multiple written estimates, never pay the full amount upfront, do not sign contracts with blank spaces, and get a written contract detailing scope of work, cost, and timeline. Be wary of door-to-door “special disaster repair deals.”
One last thing, and it is not about the flood. Viva Brevard takes over Fred Poppe Regional Park tomorrow, Saturday, from 11 AM to 6 PM. After the week this city has had, a few hours of food, music, and neighbors in the park may be the most useful item on this page.
