By Larry Holt

The Orange Leader

Pinehurst City Council, during the Tuesday evening meeting, amended the current City Ordinance regarding the City’s policy on temporary housing for property owners who have sustained damage to their property from storm damage.

Code Enforcement Officer Harry Vine presented a recommendation to amend the current City Ordinance.

“It is the opinion of Code Enforcement to allow temporary placement of manufactured homes on private lots where the Code Enforcement Officer determines that there is sufficient space on the private lot for said placement when damage has been caused by an act of God,” Vine said. “Manufactured homes and Recreational Vehicles will be permitted for 12-months from the date of the damage to the residential structure. An extension of 6 additional months will be allowed if, in the opinion of the Building Official, there has been substantial progress in the repair of said structure. After the maximum of 18-months has passed the temporary housing will be removed.”

The City Council discussed the recommendation and afterward unanimously adopted to amend the Ordinance as presented. City Administrator Robbie Hood agreed with Vine’s statement.

“We encourage citizens to get back into their homes and out of temporary housing,” Hood said.

In other business, Hood commended the efforts of Larry Horn, debris hauler contractor affiliated with Ashbritt Environmental Services (a rapid-response disaster recovery and special environmental services contractor) working with FEMA and the City of Pinehurst.

“He’s done an outstanding job for the city and I am glad to report our city is approximately 98 percent clean of Hurricane Harvey debris,” Hood said.

The remaining 2 percent represents household hazardous waste materials that are also due to be picked up, according to Hood.

“We are working with Orange County to implement a plan to remove the material,” Hood said.