Senoia's

bid to purchase Southern Mills' treatment plan for the

city sewer system has hit a snag that could result in

having the city start from square one.

At Monday

night's council meeting, the city haggled over a variance

that runs through neighboring Winpak's property.

Winpak has

offered to swap the property for a piece of city property

and pay up to $25,000 to move the force main that runs

through its property.

The snag is

that Winpak also wants the city to donate a

seven-tenths-acre tract to the company. The city

maintains that parcel is necessary for future spray field

application uses.

Southern

Mills' Ken Collins asked the council to consider what a

bargain they were getting in making a decision on the

easement.

"The

fair market value is $1.67 million and we're selling it

to you for $750,000," he said.

Collins

said Southern Mills was getting a nice tax break on the

deal, but said the tax reduction would only occur if the

deal is completed by March 15.

After that

day, the company could lose up to $50,000 in tax breaks

and could be forced to start renegotiating the contract

with the city, he said.

Mayor Joan

Trammell said that part of the original contract called

for Southern Mills to contribute up to $12,000 to move

the main, but Collins said he couldn't commit to that.

"We're

just about tapped out. We've spent $5,000 in legal fees

to have this contract drawn up," he said.

After

Collins spoke, Trammell made her feelings known.

"We

are not going to do anything that's not in the best

interest of this city. If we have to start over again, we

will," she said.

Trammell

was angry that the easement showed up right before the

contract was to be signed.

"I

must have asked that question a thousand times," she

said.

There's no

written record of the easement, but apparently there was

a verbal agreement between the previous owner of Winpak

and Southern Mills.

Just in

case an agreement can be worked out by all parties, the

council voted to allow the mayor to sign the purchase

contract and close the deal.