Amador County – An Amador County Board of Supervisors committee and staff will draft a resolution for a one-time reduction or waiving of county-imposed building or remodeling fees for veterans returning from active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts, so the veterans can build or remodel a home in Amador County.
Committee member Supervisor Ted Novelli brought the item back after discussing the issue with Al Lennox of American Legion, Veterans Services Officer Floyd Martin, and Ret. Marine Col. Fraser West.
Novelli said: “I’m getting people from past and present services that think it would be a good thing if we were to adopt something that waive the fees in regards to our young men and women coming back from conflicts that we are in now. That would be Afghanistan and Iraq.”
He said according to the U.S. Army, “we have doubled our suicide rate for young gentlemen that are coming back from these two conflicts.” One month had a higher suicide casualty rate than the death rate on the battlefield.
Novelli said “we as a board, I think, we should go forward with this, go on a one-on-one basis, and say that any returning veteran, being disabled or not disabled, returning back to Amador County that has property, has a house, that wants to do an add-on could come before this board and maybe we could either possibly waive the fees, or cut the fees in half” for building a house or doing an add-on.
Novelli said it would be for returning veterans from Afghanistan or Iraq. He said Lennox and Martin realized “we’re putting some time limit, we’re drawing a line in the sand, but they think that if we draw it for these two conflicts that it would be sufficient.”
Committee member, Supervisors Brian Oneto asked if it included veterans already returned from the two wars. Novelli said it should apply to any veterans from those two conflicts. Supervisor John Plasse and Chairman Louis Boitano agreed.
CAO Chuck Iley asked if it would be capped at one per veteran. Novelli said that was his preference. He said the “one-on-one basis” would not be a blanket offer. Veterans would apply and he and Oneto would verify service.
“If someone walks up here and says he is an Afghanistan veteran, I’m just not going to say, yes I believe you,” Novelli said. “Before they waive or cut the fees in half, we would make sure that he is correct.” Oneto said they would check that the applicants “indeed did serve there.”
Novelli said applications would go to Building and Planning, which would send them to the committee to approve their application to go before the board. Boitano suggested the committee sit with County Counsel Greg Gillott and work out a resolution to bring back to the board.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
