The biggest story in Senoia

in 1999 was the beginning of the municipal sewer system

for the town.

After more

than two years of negotiations and countless years of

study, the city of Senoia finally started work on

building its municipal sewerage system.

Public

works director Leonard Thompson explained that work begun

on the first phase of the system on Coweta Street near

the railroad tracks late this fall.

The final

piece of Senoia's complex sewage puzzle occurred earlier

this fall when the city agreed to purchase the Southern

Mills wastewater treatment plant for $750,000.

"I

feel good about this. I think this is the best decision

we could have made," said Mayor Joan Trammell.

The city

will pay Southern Mills $500,000 before Dec. 31, and the

final payment of $250,000 is due by Aug. 31, 2000. Along

with the wastewater treatment facility, the town is

purchasing more than 100 acres from the company, which

the mayor said could eventually be harvested for timber.

Both

Trammell and Southern Mills officials said the city is

getting an excellent deal. A recent appraisal put the

value of the treatment plant and land at $1.5 million.

"We're

getting everything for just what the land is worth,"

Trammell said.

Southern

Mills vice president of manufacturing Steve Mitchell said

he wanted the citizens to know the company was basically

donating more than $800,000 to the city, based on the

appraisal.

As part of

the agreement, the city agreed that water and sewer rates

charged to Southern Mills would not exceed residential

water and sewer rates for a 20-year period and the

company will continue to operate the treatment plant

until the city makes its final payment next August.

The first

stage of the system will provide sewerage to the city's

lower income residents, along with the central business

area.

The second

phase will run lines to the rest of the city and the new

subdivisions that are sprouting up through town.

The total

cost of both phases is $3.3 million and the estimated

time for sewering the whole city is approximately three

years.

The city

plans to pay for the system through a combination of

special local option sales taxes, grants and low interest

loans.

The city

already has a $500,000 grant from the state Department of

Community Affairs to help pay for providing sewerage to

the city's low income residents.

The other

big news in the city this year was the completion of the

reworking of the city's zon codes.

City

officials expect a big wave of growth to start moving

into the area and wanted to be sure the city's zoning

regulations will be able to protect the city.