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Attorney urges adoption of DNR-model floodplain resolution; committee asks for legal review

Winnebago County Planning and Zoning Committee · January 9, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

At a Winnebago County Planning & Zoning Committee meeting, attorney Michael Van Cloonen urged adoption of a floodplain resolution aligned with DNR model language to allow repairs and reconstruction of preexisting homes; committee members and staff debated the local 50% threshold, FEMA elevation standards and whether a resolution can change code, and asked attorneys to deliver written guidance by Jan. 23.

Chair (speaker 3) opened the committee’s discussion of a proposed floodplain resolution that the chair said corrects language from a prior meeting and would affect how preexisting shoreline and floodplain structures are handled.

Attorney Michael Van Cloonen (speaker 5), representing homeowners, urged the committee to approve a resolution that mirrors the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources model ordinance and state law. "We are not engaging in any kind of new construction," Van Cloonen said, arguing the draft would allow owners of older, nonconforming homes to repair or reconstruct so long as work meets FEMA standards and the house is raised above the flood-protection elevation. He described staff statements at a previous meeting that…

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