On August 23, 1999, the City of Laurel received a Century Medallion Plaque from the American Society of Landscape Architects for its "town plan". There were 300 significant landscapes honored across the U. S. These plaques symbolize the rich history of Landscape Architecture and the importance of these treasured places in enhancing our quality of life. Landscape architecture has been an important presence in Laurel since the early twentieth century.

Mayor Susan Boone Vincent received the 1999 American Hometown Leadership Award, given to outstanding elected and appointed officials for the work they do in making our smaller communities great places to live. Mayor Vincent was awarded a check for $5,000 from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.which was used to purchase playground equipment for city recreational facilities.

The City of Laurel was selected as an "Official Millennium Community" by President and Mrs. Clinton's White House Millennium Council. The Millennium Council's theme, "honor our past and imagine our future", is parallel to the nature of some of Laurel's recent projects such as the creation of Pinehurst Park and renovation of the Historic Train Depot. The selection was based on the mayor's Millennium Medallion program in which medallions were presented during 1999 and 2000 to individuals or groups who made a special contribution(s) to their community's livability.

The City of Laurel was awarded the 1998 Governor's Tree City Award for having the most outstanding accomplishments as a Tree City USA in 1998. Laurel competed with 26 other Mississippi cities for the Governor's Award.

The City of Laurel Sportsplex was presented the MRPA 1999 Bo Phillips Facility Design Award of Merit in recognition of outstanding facility design at the recent meeting of the Mississippi Recreation Parks Association meeting in Natchez, Mississippi. The Sportsplex is a 145-acre complex consisting of eight lighted tennis courts, 6 regulation soccer fields, baseball fields, softball fields, and a nature trail.  

At the Mississippi Municipal League Convention Awards Luncheon on June 28 at the Biloxi Coliseum, the City of Laurel won the Clarion Ledger's "2000 Mississippi Municipal Excellence Award for Public Safety" for cities with populations over 15,000.

The city won the award for its program "Fire Academy For Kids" which was initiated at the Laurel Fire Department in July 1999. It was the first educational event of its kind in the state of Mississippi. It was designed for children who either wanted to learn more about fire safety or were interested in firefighting as a possible career. Activities included learning home escape plans and other fire safety and prevention measures as well as how a firefighter spends a typical day at the station.