DYER | The Town Council has decided to use donations from a local business to help defray building permit costs owed by flood victims.

Culver's Restaurant, of Schererville, collected donations for flood victims earlier this fall and turned the $500 over to the town.

The council briefly discussed using the money for public works expenditures, but ultimately voted unanimously to put the money toward building permit costs.

Two Dyer residents have applied for building permits so far, Town Manager Joe Neeb said. One will be responsible for $225 in permit fees and the second will also have a substantial fee, because in both cases, the home's foundation was damaged. The $500 raised by Culver's will go to help those homeowners, Neeb said.

Roughly 80 to 90 homes sustained considerable damage during the August flooding.

In October, the council had considered waiving permit fees for these victims, something it had never done before, but ultimately decided to wait in anticipation that Lake County would be declared a federal disaster area.

That declaration came down from Bush on Friday.