County supervisors not eager to join FEMA's emergency flood insurance program

Winneshiek County supervisors have decided to indefinitely postpone any action on having the county join the Federal Emergency Management Agency's emergency flood insurance program.

At Monday's county board meeting, supervisors learned that only one letter from the public had been submitted by way of comment on the flood insurance program--and that letter was opposed to having the county join the program.

County Zoning Administrator Tony Phillips said passing the ordinance would mean new regulations on property in all of rural Winneshiek County--not just the property along rivers and streams.  "I do not like it," Phillips said of the FEMA program.  He said the guidelines were too subjective, the program offered only $35,000 in coverage and there was no public demand for the county to participate in the program.

Supervisors agreed with Phillips that it would be a better idea to wait until FEMA adopts maps of the floodplain in Winneshiek County, which would allow the county to participate in FEMA's regular flood insurance program, if supervisors approved.