FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Fremont will pay for a study of water and sewer services at a proposed chicken plant site despite opponents’ arguments that doing so violates state law.

The City Council voted Tuesday night to spend nearly $200,000 for the study, which city officials say will focus on extending services to the site selected by Costco Wholesale. City utilities manager Brian Newton said if the payment violates a law, the city will just bill Costco.

But Jane Kleeb, founder of the activist group Bold Nebraska, says governments can’t spend taxpayer money and plan on getting reimbursed. She says the company should pay up front.

Opponents have raised concerns about the plant’s potential impact on schools and housing. Backers have said the plant would create 1,100 new jobs.