Albeit a small step forward in the pursuit of relief for residents of Louisiana, news emerging out of last week shows that local government is doing what it can to help victims of Chinese drywall. Reducing the costs of repair efforts, the Mandeville City Council has stepped up to provide a small amount of assistance. What’s more, the manner in which the Council is helping is an innovative step that might be replicated across the state.
Suzanne Le Breton of the St. Tammany News reports
The City Council approved a measure Thursday night that would give individuals who make repairs after finding tainted drywall in their homes a break on their permit fees.
Anyone with proof that the tainted drywall was used in their homes can receive a 75 percent reduction when paying for the permits to replace the plumbing, sheetrock and electrical wires in their homes.
The measure was introduced by Councilman Jerry Coogan who said he feels every homeowner or builder who used the drywall from China not knowing of what it contained had their trust violated, and they deserve to get some relief.
He said since they are not getting that relief from the federal government, it is up to the local government to do what it can to help defray the homeowner’s cost of replacing the affected parts of the home.
The 75% reduction was limited by the building inspector because the city could not offer a 100 percent rebate but does show promise. Maxing out each city’s efforts in whatever way they can helps provide a road map in which relief might be provided while those with the toxic wallboard wait for a more permanent or sizable mode of assistance.