After nearly three hours of talks Monday afternoon. Senoia and Coweta County officials could not come to an agreement on the allocation of the city’s excess sewer capacity. But officials did agree to meet and try and hammer out a final agreement Sept.11.

The main issue involved in the talks was a service delivery strategy that Senoia officials want to sign with Coweta County. In June, the city learned the EPD had granted preliminary approval for building up to a two million gallon sewer treatment plant that would discharge into Line Creek. But city officials only need one million gallons for growth in the next 20 years, so the city is exploring options with the county over the excess capacity.

Coweta County is interested in the capacity because McIntosh Village, which is slated to break ground late this year, needs one million gallons for its more than 3,100 homes and commercial buildings in unincorporated Coweta County.

“We have a proposed annexation area that we would like to consider as our future service delivery area,” explained city administrator Richard Ferry.

Ferry said the only way the city could afford to build a plant would be to know that a certain number of guaranteed customers would be available.

But Coweta County administrator Theron Gay said the county had a problem with the city’s idea.

“We would be letting the city dictate growth in an area in the unincorporated county that hasn’t even been annexed,” he explained.

Tom Reese, who is developing McIntosh Village, said he would prefer to piggyback on the city’s excess capacity, but said a decision had to be reached soon.

“We’re looking at different alternatives. We have other ways of doing sewer service,” he added.

Gay also added that he hoped everybody could work together.

“We’ve got a great opportunity. The EPD looks favorably on governments that work together,” he said.

Another option floated by Reese’s attorney Buddy Welch was for the Coweta County Water and Sewer Authority to operate the proposed treatment plant and the city to purchase capacity.

City officials seemed willing to go along with the idea, but had another bone of contention with the county.

“Every time we try to annex, the county throws up some other argument,” said Councilman Larry Owen.

The city asked if the annexation process could be made easier.

“There hasn’t been an instance where an annexation has not been approved by the county,” Gay said.

The city and county leaders agreed to direct the staff to try and come up with answers to some of the thornier issues prior to the Sept.11 meeting.

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