Having to pay someone to clear snow from your driveways and walkways is a way of life for many mountain residents after an ordinary snowfall. But when you wake up to 10 feet or more of fresh powder, making it go away can become a major expense.
That's why the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors created the Snow Removal Reimbursement Program. Since it's inception in the wake of the late February/early March snowstorms, nearly 2,000 homeowners and small businesses in the mountain unincorporated areas have each received up to $500 to offset what they paid to a professional to remove snow from their properties.
The Board of Supervisors originally budgeted $500,000 for the program from a $10 million storm response emergency fund they created on March 1. That budget was soon doubled to $1 million to ensure everyone who qualified for and needed help received it. This week, another $250,000 was added.
As of yesterday, the County had received nearly 2,801 applications seeking nearly $1.2 million. Not all applications qualify - only properties in unincorporated areas are eligible, and applicants must produce certain documentation - so funds are still available.
Applications can be submitted online until May 10 or until funding is exhausted. Please visit the Snow Removal Reimbursement Program website for eligibility and application information.
The Snow Removal Reimbursement Program is one of several actions the Board of Supervisors have taken to help mountain residents and businesses recover from the snowstorms.
- On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors created the Mountain Small Business Grants Snow Response Program, making mountain businesses and non-profits with 50 or fewer employees are eligible for a one-time $3,000 grant, and businesses with more than 50 but fewer than 500 employees can receive $15,000 to assist with recovery from the recent snowstorms. The application process is expected to go live in the next couple of weeks online at https://snowinfo.sbcounty.gov/.
- On March 14, the Board unanimously voted to waive up to $5,000 in County plan review and permit fees for property owners looking to repair or rebuild structures damaged or destroyed by the historic snowfall. The waiver is available for each structure. The County’s Land Use Services Department has created a Storm Response Team focused on supporting the public in the repair and rebuilding of their structures damaged by the extreme snowstorm event. The team will ensure that the plan review and permit process for impacted residents will be expedited to the fullest extent possible.
Information on these and other programs and everything else related to the blizzard recovery effort is available at https://snowinfo.sbcounty.gov.
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