The city of Bethel has gotten an extension on its regional general permit from the Army Corps of Engineers that will allow the city to review permits for citizens building in a wetland, a designation which encompasses much of Bethel.
Mayor Rick Robb addressed corps representatives at a city council meeting Tuesday with a clear message.
“It is definitely the intention of this community and the intention of this council that we want to work and extend this general permit and have it authorized for another five year period, and we want to make sure the corps of engineers understands that,” he said.
The permit, set to expire at the end of August, will be extended for six months as per the council’s request. In that time, city administration will work with the corps to renew the city’s permit on a long-term basis, but the renewal is not guaranteed. State and federal authorities still have to weigh in on the process, and will have the option to veto its passage.
Sheila Newman, one of the corps representatives, pointed out that despite public concern for widespread construction holdups, the permit was used just a handful of times last year and affected only six out of 75 total projects in Bethel.