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Council voted by a narrow margin Monday night to go forward with the latest construction items for the city’s Septic Tank Replacement Program.

By a 4-3 vote, bids for the Lamplighter and Sheffield Districts and a master lift station were all awarded to go forward in 2008. Councilors Terri DiSciullo, Ted Forcht and Chuck Kiester voted in the minority in all three of the contracts.

Council voted in the affirmative despite pleas by the residents to hold off on approval until the residents had voted for a new council Jan. 29.

Four of the eight running for election to four open seats have vowed to stop the program if elected.

After the contracts were approved, roughly three-quarters of the audience made a noisy exit from council chambers, as resident Godfrey Davies shouted “Shame on you Popoff” at Councilor Rob Popoff, who has previously voted against the acceleration of other sewer projects.

However, most of those who exited remained in the large entryway to the building, creating boisterous applause when other residents made comments that pleased them.

DiSciullo’s “no” vote hinged on recent changes to city construction contracts that specify percentages to be paid to contractors in the event that contracts are cancelled. That could happen in March if an anti-sewer majority is sworn into office.

She expressed concern that the changes could have a negative monetary effect on the city, and that they were not vetted before council before going into effect.

“I have supported going ahead with the STRP, but changing the language in the termination is disturbing me,” she said. “There is a change in the language that is here, and that is why I am voting not to go forward with these contracts. Quite frankly, I’m tired of things changing midstream.”

City staff have contended that the changes will protect the city from larger losses through litigation, should the contracts be cancelled.

Marco resident Butch Neylon approached council to express concern that the changed contracts will accomplish the exact opposite, providing contractors with a financial windfall in the case of a cancellation.

When Public Works Director Rony Joel questioned Neylon’s statements, Neylon again approached the podium and addressed the council, growing ever louder as he energetically admonished Joel for calling him “a liar.”

Council questioned Joel on the need for going forward with each of the three contracts, especially with the potential costs of cancellation. Joel assured council that the most the city would lose through cancellation of the two sewer contracts would be $10,000 in engineering design costs.

The lift station contract approved Monday night will connect to districts across the island, and ranging in date of construction. Some plans for connection to the station are already complete, while others are not set to be built until several years from now.

Still, Joel said, the station is necessary for residents in the Sheffield district to connect to sewers at the end of 2008.

“If you want to be done by December, you need to vote on it,” Joel said. “It will take 60 to 90 days to get shop drawings because it’s a much more sophisticated system. We have to be ready and permitted by the (Department of Environmental Protection) by Dec. 1.”

However, Popoff pressed him, stating that he had spoken to other city staff who said the construction for the lift station would take four to six months, not 11 as stated by Joel.

“I don’t mean to put you on the spot here,” Popoff said. “We know we’re going to do this. I’m not questioning the need for this, I’m just questioning the timing of it.”

Costs for the lift station, to be installed by D.N. Higgins, are roughly $800,000. Construction in the Sheffield and Lamplighter districts is contracted at roughly $11.3 million total.