Lincoln County supervisors are generally opposed to the idea ofjoining a federal flood insurance program and at least two of thecounty leaders will not be present Tuesday night when theMississippi Emergency Management Agency visits Brookhaven to give apresentation on the program and its new capabilities.

Supervisors were miffed at the fact MEMA did not contact themdirectly to request their attendance at two Tuesday night meetings,which would have allowed them to inquire about the National FloodInsurance Program. NFIP is a government flood insurance programthat allows residents of a flood plain in NFIP member counties tobe eligible for federal assistance in the wake of federallydeclared disasters.

Lincoln County is one of only four counties in the state that isnot a member of NFIP, and supervisors are wary of joining theprogram.

At least two supervisors – District Three Supervisor NolanWilliamson and District Four Supervisor Doug Moak – have priorplans and will not attend the 3 p.m. meeting of MEMA and localgovernment leaders at the government complex. At least one othersupervisor – District Five Supervisor Gary Walker -plans to attendthe 5 p.m. meeting for the general public as a member of such andnot as a county leader.

Board Attorney Bob Allen recommended that supervisors attend asmembers of the general public or meet with MEMA officials at alater date, after they have reserved a place on the board’s agendaand appeared at a regular Monday meeting.

“I want to hear it and hear what they got to say, and I’m gonnaleave it at that,” said Walker, who pointed out work on a bridge onNewell Road will likely prevent him from attending the 3 p.m.meeting. “I’m just gonna be like a public citizen at 5 p.m.”

Moak said his week has already been planned out and he will notattend either of Tuesday night’s meetings. Williamson said he wouldbe out of pocket for a granddaughter’s surgery.

District Two Supervisor Bobby Watts plans to attend bothmeetings, despite the opposition to NFIP he showed Monday.

“The supervisors … should be there with aggressive input,” hesaid. “I want to see what it’s all about and ask questions. Wedon’t have to take it. It’s like going in the grocery store – ifyou don’t like the beans, there’s the front door.”

Supervisors aren’t really sure if they like the beans, but themood of Monday’s meeting was to avoid the grocery store alltogether. The most vocal opponent of NFIP during the discussion wasWilliamson, who believes the county should not serve as anintermediary between homeowners and their lenders.

Supervisors were also wary of NFIP’s stipulations that a floodplain administrator be hired – likely another job for Civil DefenseDirector Clifford Galey – and new ordinances be adopted andenforced that could prevent landowners from building on certainareas of their property. Supervisors were also worried aboutstigmatizing landowners’ property in the market by declaring it afederally recognized flood zone and the potential to force thoselandowners to purchase the insurance.

“I can’t understand why they would want supervisors to hireanother employee when the county doesn’t lend them any money,”Williamson said. “It should be between them and the lendingcompany. If a person buys or builds a house and he ain’t got senseenough to recognize where it is, sorry.”

MEMA Public Information Officer Jeff Rent said flood plaindwellers in NFIP member counties are only required to purchase thefederal flood insurance if they have a federally backed mortgageand their lending company requires it. He said the FEMA floodinsurance provides for $250,000 in coverage to a home and monthlypayments are based on the severity of the flood plain.