PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS-STREET SPRINKLING.

*SEC. 29. Street Sprinkling Authorized by Ordinance -Special Tax Bills Therefor Issued in Favor of CityContracts Made Annually by B. P. I.-Sprinkling Districts -Date of Special Tax Lien-Interest-Cost of Sprinkling Paid Out of City Treasury-City Reimbursed by Special Tax Bills. The Mayor and Assembly shall have power within the city by ordinance to cause the streets and public places of the city, or any part thereof, to be sprinkled, and the cost thereof to be provided for and defrayed by a special tax to be assessed in favor of the city on the adjoining property fronting or bordering on the streets or public places where such sprinkling is proposed to be done, in the proportion that the linear feet of each lot fronting or bordering on the street or public place so to be sprinkled bears to the total number of linear feet of all property chargeable with the special tax aforesaid in the territory embraced by the contract under which said sprinkling is to be done. The above work shall be contracted for annually by the Board of Public Improvements at such time and under such terms and conditions as shall be provided by ordinance, and the city shall be divided into at least forty sprinkling districts for the above purpose, and each district shall be let separately. The special tax bills spoken of shall be and become a lien on the property charged therewith from the first Monday in April in each year, and shall be prima facie evidence of the liability of the property charged therewith to the extent and amount therein specified, and may be collected of the owner of the land in the name of and by the City of St. Louis as any other claim in any court of competent jurisdiction, with interest at the rate of six per cent per annum from the first day of May in each year, and if not paid by the first day of June in each year, then at the rate of eight per centum per annum from the first day of April in each year, and they shall be issued and collected in the manner hereafter provided by ordinance. The cost of the sprinkling shall be paid out of the city treasury to the contractors, and the City Treasurer shall be reimbursed for such expenditures by the proceeds of the special tax bills aforesaid.

*This section is an amendment to the Charter, adopted at the charter amendment election, held on October 22, 1901.

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SECTION 1. Water Commissioner-His Term, Bond, Etc. -The water works, except the assessment of water rates and the collection of the revenue therefrom, shall be under the control and management of a commissioner, to be known as "Water Commissioner," who shall be appointed by the Mayor, and confirmed by the Council, and shall be a duly qualified engineer, hold office for four years, and give such bond as may be required by ordinance. He shall appoint such subordinates as may be necessary for the management and efficient operation of said water works as may be provided by ordinance.

SEC. 2. Water Commissioner to Assume Charge of the Department, Etc.-Upon the appointment of the Water Commissioner under this Charter, he shall take charge of the water works, and all the appurtenances thereto, and shall assume supervisory control over the operation of the same, and enforce the performance of all existing and future contracts and work; and it shall be the duty of the Board of Water Commissioners, and all other persons having charge of the water works, or connected therewith, upon demand of said Commissioner, to turn over all books, records, property and assets belonging to said water works to said Commissioner, and thereupon the official terms of said Board of Water Commissioners and their appointees shall cease and determine.

WATER WORKS.

SEC. 3. Contracts for Work to be Submitted to Council. —The doing of all work, and the furnishing of all materials and supplies for the water works, shall be let out by the Commissioner in the same manner as other public work, except in cases where it is not practical to do such work or furnish such materials by contract; and all contracts shall be submitted to the Council for approval.

SEC. 4. City to be Liable for Real Estate Taken for Water Works, Etc.-The City of St. Louis shall be liable for all damages that may be sustained by any person in his or her property, by the taking of any real estate, for the purposes necessary for the efficient operation of its water works, and if the amount of compensation to be paid to any such owner or owners can not be amicably agreed upon between the city and such owner or owners, then application may be made by the City Counselor, on behalf of the city, to the Circuit Court of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, for assessment of such damages, in the same manner as is prescribed in this Charter in the matter of street openings.

SEC. 5. Laying of Water Pipe.-Whenever a majority in interest of the property-holders on any street, avenue, lane or alley, in the City of St. Louis, shall hereafter petition for water pipe to be laid along such street, avenue, lane or alley, and the laying of the same is authorized by ordinance, or whenever the Assembly shall, by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each branch, declare the laying of water-pipe on any street, avenue lane or alley, to be necessary, the Water Commissioner shall cause the same to be laid; and the cost of laying all such pipe shall be paid as provided by ordinance.

SEC. 6. Owners of Buildings May be Compelled to Take Out Water License as a Sanitary Measure, Etc.—The Water Commissioner may require owners or lessees, or their agents, of houses, stores and other buildings in the city, or in such part thereof as he is ready to supply, to take out license for the use of water for such house, store or building, according to the rates and assessment as fixed by ordinances of the city for the use of water, whenever the Board of Health of the City of St. Louis shall, by order duly made, declare that the use of water

WATER WORKS.

from the water works of the city in any such house, store or building, is demanded as a sanitary measure for the preservation of the health of the inmates or inhabitants of such house, store or building; and the said rate and assessment shall be paid by all such proprietors, owners or lessees, or their agents, as well by those who consent as by those who refuse to place in their houses, stores and buildings the water pipe to convey the same, and shall be payable whenever the Assessor of Water Rates shall have notified the proprietor, owner, lessee, or his or her agent, of the readiness of said Water Commissioner to supply such house, store or buiiding with water as aforesaid. The parties who fail or neglect to comply with the provisions of this section shall be subject to penalties as may be provided by ordinance.

SEC. 7. Assessor and Collector of Water RatesClerks, Duties, Etc.-The assessment and collection of water rates shall be under the control and supervision of an Assessor and Collector of Water Rates, who shall be appointed by the Mayor, and confirmed by the Council. He shall have authority. to appoint such clerks and assistants as may be authorized by ordinance. It shall be the duty of said Assessor and Collector to collect all revenue due, or to become due, to the City of St. Louis for water, or accruing to the City of St. Louis on account of the water works thereof, in virtue of any ordinance now existing or hereafter to be passed.

SEC. 8. His Salary and Bond.-The Assessor and Collector of Water Rates shall receive a salary to be fixed by ordinance, not exceeding three thousand dollars a year, and shall give a bond of one hundred thousand dollars, with not less than four good sureties, owners of unincumbered real estate, within the City of St. Louis, of the assessed value of one hundred thousand dollars, to be approved by the Mayor, conditioned that he will faithfully and punctually collect and pay to the Treasurer of the City of St. Louis all inoneys due and collectable for and on account of the water works, and that he will faithfully perform all the duties of his office according to law.

WATER WORKS.

Collections to be Deposited in Treasury Daily -Monthly Statement to Comptroller.-At the close of each day, the Assessor and Collector of Water Rates shall deposit in the city treasury the revenue collected during the day, taking triplicate receipts for the same, one of which shall be deposited with the Comptroller, and one with the Auditor. Every failure in this respect shall be reported to the Mayor, upon which the Mayor may suspend or remove said Collector. He shall monthly furnish the Comptroller with a full and complete statement of all collections made by him, also the number of blank licenses not used.

SEC. 10. Issue of Water License, Etc.-The Comptroller shall countersign all blanks received from the Register for water license, and shall issue the same to the Collector and Assessor of Water Rates, taking his duplicate receipts therefor, one of which he shall file with the Auditor. The Comptroller is further instructed to examine the monthly statement of the said Assessor and Collector, and to certify to the Auditor whether it is correct or not.

SEC. 11. Assembly May Regulate Water Rates-Revenue from Water Rates, How Applied.-The Assembly may make alterations in the prices or rents to be paid for the use of water from the water works, and the whole net income from rents and receipts of the water works, in excess of what may be necessary for completing, constructing, operating and repairing the water works and for interest on water bonds shall be transferred quarterly to the fund commissioners of the City of St. Louis, and shall be by them invested in St. Louis water bonds, if the same can be done advantageously, and if not, in other bonds of the City of St. Louis; and if none such are procurable, then in bonds of the State of Missouri, or the United States, and the whole sum so invested shall be set apart as a sinking fund, solemnly appropriated to and for the payment of the bonds issued for the erection of the water works, denominated "St. Louis water bonds," and shall be applied solely to that purpose until the whole of said bonds be fully paid; and the fund commissioners shall, whenever required by the Assembly or either branch thereof, render a just, true and