Tuesday's public

hearing in Senoia could turn into a showdown over sewerage as residents

learn that they will be forced to pay for sewer service whether they want

it or not.

During Monday

night's council meeting, City Administrator Leonard Thompson explained

how phase two of the city's sewerage will work and be funded.

The city will

learn next month if it has received a rural development loan to pay for

the latest phase, which will include all of the historic city and businesses.

Under the grant,

all residents must hook up to the sewer system. If residents refuse, Thompson

said, they will still receive minimum monthly sewer bills.

"We have

to have the customers so the grant people know we can pay the loan back,"

Thompson said.

Residents will

be notified prior to the sewer line running down their street of the impending

hook-up and Thompson plans to give the residents a lengthy period to plan

for it.

While residents

will not pay a tap fee if they hook up in the first 90 days, they will

still be responsible for running pipe from the city's tap in the right

of way to their house.

Thompson plans

to have three or four contractors lined up to run the pipe and residents

can choose the one they want to run the line.

The residents

also will be responsible for filling in their septic tanks, because environmental

laws do not allow the tanks to remain active after sewer is run to the

house.

All the council

members emphasized that residents would need plenty of time to plan for

this expense.

"It's

going to be a burden to a lot of people," said Councilman Bob Hannah.

Councilwoman

Dianne Cleveland agreed and said people should have longer than 90 days

to get everything hooked up. The other council members agreed and said

residents could get a 90-day extension by writing a letter to City Hall.

Tuesday's public

hearing will allow residents to voice their opinions on the council's

proposals. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall.