With less than

three weeks to go until its latest deadline for expansion of its sewer

system, the Senoia City Council received a surprise Monday.

City Attorney

Drew Whalen informed the council that another 25 easements would have

to be obtained before the system expansion could be put out to bid.

The city is

getting ready to embark on building phase two of its municipal sewer system.

The price tag for the project is pegged at $6.1 million.

The city is

building the project with a combination of loans and grants and is still

working on permits, along with getting easements from residents to run

sewer lines through their yards.

It's the easements

that are causing city officials the most grief right now.

"Is there

somebody that can be held accountable for this? I'm frustrated that the

string seems to be getting longer," said Councilman Bill Wood.

Whalen said

some the new easements are a result of having to slightly shift the lines

to avoid a piece of property, but said the city's engineer, Ben Turnipseed,

is the one who is ultimately responsible for the plans.

The city wanted

to get the project bid out by April, but Whalen said the city is probably

going to have to ask for another extension of the grant approval from

the state Rural Development Department.

Construction

time on the project is pegged at one year. Councilman Bob Hannah said

the city might start having to look at condemnation to obtain some of

the easements.

Additionally,

Mayor Dianne Cleveland said she wants to receive an explanation from the

engineer on the new easements.