Two Washington County departments have come together to set a public hearing for updating policy regarding the county floodplain management ordinance. Jason Taylor, Washington County Environmental Health Director, spoke at the most recent county board of supervisors meeting regarding the ordinance, and it’s need for review. “It’s been asked of me by the (Iowa) DNR to readopt standard ordinance that they have for floodplain development. Last time it was passed through the board of supervisors was 2013. So now a lot of the definitions have changed up to the new code. So we are asking to update the ordinance to bring it up to today’s standard.”
The differences between the two ordinances are definitions for things like an appurtenant structure, base flood elevation, enclosed area below lowest floor, 500-year-flood, flood insurance study, floodway fringe, maximum damage potential development, special flood hazard area, grain storage facility, findings of fact, statement of purpose, general provisions, flood plain management strategy, DNR review, residential structures, new and substantially improved structures, factory-built homes, variance procedures and more. The public hearing as been set for 9a.m. Tuesday, June 21st in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers at the Washington County Courthouse.