The city of

Senoia will begin comdemnation proceedings against reluctant property

owners who don't want to turn over easements for the city's sewer system.

For the last

few months, city officials have been working at a feverish pitch to try

and get easements for phase two of the city's sewer system.

But deadlines

have passed, and Mayor Dianne Cleveland has warned the city may have to

vote for condemnation on up to 15 parcels to acquire all the easements.

"It's

been a frustrating process. We were told (former) city manager Leonard

Thompson would have this completed before he left in December, but that

didn't happen," she said.

Last week,

the city gave City Attorney Drew Whalen authority to draw up a condemnation

resolution for the rest of the easements.

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. Rural Development

of Georgia is loaning the city nearly $3.5 million.

The city had

hoped to start construction in June, but that's looking more and more

unlikely.

After all the

easements are obtained, the city will still have to take bids on the project.

The city has

already requested an extension from rural development officials for obtaining

the funding. With a timeline of one year, the city could be fully hooked

up to the system by the summer of 2003 if the easements are obtained and

the project is bid by this summer, officials said.