Now that the issue of funding repairs to the Hutchinson flood control levee system appears to be settled, the city must now decide how much of the levee they want to keep under FEMA certification. And that could exclude that portion of the levee protecting county residents.

After the county Commission rejected a request to help fund about 650-thousand dollars worth of repairs for the levees system, the city must now decide how much of the levee they want to repair. Hutchinson City Manager John Deardoff says that may not include the portion of the levee southwest of the city.

Deardoff says while the city would still be required to keep the levee system up to Army Corps of Engineer standards, it would still leave the area protected by the levee in the flood plain. If that’s the case, landowners would likely be forced to buy flood insurance.