The citizens of Palmetto will

not be seeing any bulldozers or lots being cleared for new development

this year.

During Monday night's City

Council meeting, the council put the brakes on any new residential development

for the next year.

Right now the city's waste

water and treatment plants are operating at full capacity, said city administrator

Bill Shell.

The state of Georgia has requested

the moratorium in order to study the town's sewer system and look for

other methods to increase that capacity. This is being done mainly in

the interest of public health, safety and welfare, Shell added.

The moratorium will be in effect

through July 6, 2004.

Palmetto joins an increasing

number of communities in the south metro area that have implemented moratoriums.

The city of Senoia is in a

moratorium while it updates its city ordinances and studies the issue

of impact fees to help pay for the explosive growth that's poised to occur

in the area.