By Mari Radtke
On January 12, 2021 O’Brien County Supervisors approved the second reading of the “Flood Plain Management Ordinance.” The waived the third reading, making the ordinance ready for adoption. A Resolution to adopt the ordinance is on the January 19 agenda.
The ordinance provides for areas in O’Brien County and outside incorporated areas are under the general construction guidelines of county regulation.
FEMA began the process of new flood plain maps in the United States and updated federal flood insurance maps in 2019. Each county and each city were provided with flood plain maps and had the option to adopt or reject them following a feedback period. Most cities in O’Brien County found themselves unaffected by the new maps. O’Brien County found a need to consider adopting the new flood plains. If the county had declined to adopt the updated maps, flood insurance on the flood plain would not be available.
An area near Sheldon, primarily near their golf course, saw significant flood mapping changes. At the same time that area also has been platted with several new lots for sale to varying degrees of inside the (new) flood plain.
With the county adopting the ordinance and the new flood plain maps, the area qualifies for federal flood insurance. Construction permits in unincorporated areas of O’Brien County will be issued by the County Sanitarian.
The repairs to Drainage District 5 received a FEMA extension to June 30, 2021. A 5% interest rate was approved by the board to be paid on warrants issued by the county on behalf of Drainage District 4. The project is complete by has not yet been assessed. A levy was suggested to fund the issued warrants.
Darwin Gaudian spoke on behalf of O’Brien County Fair Board on Tuesday. He explained the Fair Board was interested in purchasing some land to the south of existing fair grounds with an asking price of $30,000. He explained the fair board had no other major projects in the works for this coming year, some repairs and maintenance. He noted the 2021 O’Brien County Fair will be the 98th annual.