Flood victims to get tax break from city

Ottawa residents whose homes have been flooded are being given some extra time to pay their property taxes this year.

On Wednesday, Coun. Stephen Blais, whose Cumberland ward residents have been inundated, proposed pushing back the usual June deadline until Dec. 5 for affected homeowners.

Council also instructed city staff to look into allowing residents torebuild on higher, dryer ground on their properties. Staff have been asked to report back in August.

Under the proposal, demolition andbuilding permits would be waived.The city offered similar breaksafter the 2017 floods.

• Federal, provincial politicians pondering incentives for residents of flood-prone areas
• Province expands zone eligible for flood relief

In Quebec, the province is considering buyouts to encourage homeowners living in flood zones to relocate, but Ontario isn't there yet, staff told councillors.

For now, homeowners have a legal right to rebuild where they are.

Hydro utilitiesare waiving connection fees and delivery fees, city staff said Wednesday,and the Electrical Safety Authority is also waiving its usualfees for safety inspections after some homeowners complainedabout feeling gouged.

'We're in a lull'

Meanwhile, the city is preparing to move into recovery mode but isn't quite there yet. The hundreds of troops who helped with sandbagginghave returned to their base in Petawawabutare on standby, staff said.

"We're in this lullwhere the waters are still high. They haven't receded yet, and we have a lot of work to do as we prepare for the recovery efforts ... to hit the ground running the moment those waters recede," city manager Steve Kanellakos told councilWednesday.

Don't get rid of sandbags yet, officials say

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City manager Steve Kanellakos and head of emergency services Anthony Di Monte say the city is in a lull when it comes to water levels, which could rise again in the coming days.

With water levels set to rise again,the head of emergency services is telling residents to keep sandbags in place.

• Ottawa River levels set to rise again in the capital

"Leave everything status quo. Take a moment to breathe now in this interim as much as you can breathe with your house partially underwater in some cases and then the next steps of recovery will be put in place," Anthony Di Monte advised flood-weary residents.

The city will hold information sessions next week for residents in each of the areas affected by flooding, with sessions on Monday in Constance Bay and FitzroyHarbour, Tuesday in Cumberlandand Thursday in Britannia.