The Indianola City Council approved an amendment to city code regarding an exception to non-conforming structures at their most recent meeting.

Interim City Manager Charlie Dissell tells KNIA News that when the city created the zoning areas, there were some already existing buildings such as housing in a commercial district that was grandfathered in, and where the city wanted to help out homeowners was with the old code, if a natural disaster or fire destroyed the home the new building would have to be built according to the zoning plan, essentially not allowing a home to be rebuilt.

Dissell said the ordinance created problems with those residents trying to sell their homes as they could not be insured, so the council created an exception to the ordinance.

“Essentially if the building is destroyed by a catastrophe, an act of god, or something that is beyond the owners control. An accidental fire, a tornado, if something like that does happen you are able to rebuild that structure. Things that do not meet that exemption such as arson, or just because of lack of maintenance that led to a dilapidated structure, you would not meet that exemption.”

For more information, tune in to today’s Let’s Talk Indianola.