County floodplain insurance program might still be 12-16 months away

Winneshiek County supervisors continue to express interest in having the county participate in the National Floodplain Insurance Program.  But county Zoning Administrator Tony Phillips on Tuesday cautioned that it will probably take 12 to 16 months before the program goes into effect in the unincorporated areas of Winneshiek County.  Phillips told supervisors "there's no need to do the resolution yet," but he said work could begin on drawing up an application to the federal government.  Adoption of the FEMA floodplain maps would require property owners in unincorporated areas to apply for a permit if they wanted to build on property within the floodplain.