OXFORD, Ga. – The Oxford City Council voted Monday night to approve a contract for the city’s Emory street sewer expansion.

The council awarded the $991,146 contract to Site Engineering, Inc.  It had unanimously approved the project to expand sewer access to 42 homes on Emory Street north from Wentworth Drive to Palmer Stone School in May 2017.

The expansion became a hot-button issue for Emory Street homeowners for most of last summer as many questioned the city’s requirement that they connect to the new system while their septic systems were still working.

Council members approved the final framework for the project in September exempting homeowners from being required to connect to the new sewer until their septic system fails and requires a permit from the Newton County Health Department to replace or repair.

Under the plan, the fee to hook up to the system is $3,600, but homeowners who connect before Dec. 31, 2023 will receive a credit of $1,800.

The 28 homeowners who granted the city an easement to cross their property for the sewer installation will receive an additional credit of $1,800.

City Manager Matt Pepper told council members the city received three bids on the project. It will be paid for using funds from a Georgia Environmental Finance Authority loan and money from the 2017 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

Pepper said the city hopes to start work on the expansion by the end of the summer. He said the work should take about 6 months.