County could expedite building permits after storm

County officials hope to expedite the building permit process for residences affected by Wednesday’s windstorm by reinstating a resolution put in place after a similar storm in 2015.

“It was the right thing to do, and that’s why we’re doing it again,” said David Callahan, Kootenai County Department of Community Development Director.

The resolution, which could go before the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners as soon as Tuesday, would authorize Callahan to implement accelerated building permit procedures for work necessary due to the windstorm.

It would also reduce the fee for building permits issued for work related to the storm to a flat fee of $100.

“It will be helpful for people who’ve gone through a nightmare and need to rebuild,” Callahan said.

Stan Schedler, owner of Schedler Mack Insurance in Coeur d’Alene, said his office has fielded hundreds of calls from customers this week, about damage ranging from crushed fences to houses that were completely destroyed.

“Folks are kind of panicking,” he said.

The Coeur d’Alene area has only so many tree services, roofing companies, contractors and so on, Schedler noted, so resources are naturally limited in times of disaster. One crisis might fold into the next.

“If you don’t have heat, the next round is frozen pipes,” he said.

Schedler said he’s most concerned for the customers whose homes are uninhabitable, given that most motels are full and rentals are scarce.

“I’m shaking in my boots,” he said.

Brandy O’Brien, an agent with Armstrong Insurance, said her office has been flooded with calls from customers who suffered damage.

“I haven’t worked less than 14 hours each day since the storm,” she said.

Some customers may have to wait months to receive settlements after their claims are filed.

“Everything’s so backed up,” O’Brien said.

She said the windstorm is a reminder for homeowners to reassess their insurance policies to make sure they have the coverage they need for future incidents.

Despite everything, Schedler said he was heartened by the fellowship he experienced this week in the wake of the storm. Near his home on Fernan Hill, residents with chainsaws worked together with their neighbors on Wednesday to clear the roads.

“Idaho people are pretty tough,” he said. “We’re can-do people.”

Building permits in Kootenai County are up 43% since 2019, Callahan told The Press in December. Staffing challenges and the volume of applications slowed the review process in recent months.

To combat this, the department recently contracted with an outside planning review consultant and hired several new staff. Still, the department remains busy.

“People are working overtime,” Callahan said.

Callahan said residents who have questions about how to apply for a building permit should call the Kootenai County Department of Community Development at 208-446-1040.