4128 ARTICLE 17.

Commission shall have decided, after opportunity for a hearing has been
given, to proceed with the construction, it shall advertise, by notice in such
newspapers and technical press as it may deem proper, for bids for the
construction of said system or systems, in parts or as a whole, as in its
judgment may appear advisable. The contract shall be let to the lowest,
responsible bidder, or the Commission may reject any or all bids, and, if
in its discretion the prices quoted are unreasonable, it may readvertise the
work or any part of it, or may do any part or all of the work by day labor;
provided that at any time the Commission may, in its discretion, expend
by day labor for construction work an amount not exceeding $5,000 with-
out advertising or receiving bids. All such contracts may be protected by
such bonds, penalties and conditions as the Commission shall require, all
of which shall be enforceable in any court having jurisdiction.

1918, ch. 122, sec. 8. 1920, ch. 518, ,sec. 8. 1924, ch. 189, sec. 8. 1927, ch. 506, sec. 8.

1021. The construction or acquisition of said water mains or sewers is
hereby declared to be a benefit to all property abutting upon the same
and said Commission for the purpose of assessing benefits for the con-
struction of water supply and sewerage systems, shall divide all proper-
ties binding upon a street, road, lane, alley or right of way, in which a
water pipe or sanitary sewer is to be laid, into four classes, namely, agri-
cultural, small acreage, industrial or business, and subdivision property.
Immediately upon the commencement or within twelve months after the
completion of a water supply or sewerage project the Commission is em-
powered and directed to fix and levy a benefit charge upon all property
abutting upon said water main or sewer, in accordance with the classifica-
tion, and shall in writing notify all owners of said properties into which
class their respective properties fall and the charge determined upon,
naming also in said notice a time and place when and at which said owners
will be heard. Such notice may be mailed to the last known address of
the owner, or served in person upon any adult occupying the premises, or
in the case of vacant or unimproved property, posted upon the premises.
The classification of any property as made by the Commission shall be
final, subject only to revision at said hearing. The Commission may
change the classification of properties from time to time as said properties
change in the uses to which they are put. Said benefit shall be levied for
both water supply and sewerage construction and shall be based for each
class of property upon the approximate cost of said construction as an
integral part of the whole system and the number of front feet abutting
upon the street, lane, road, alley or right of way in which the water pipe
or sewer is placed.

All front foot benefit charges heretofore levied by said Commission,
whether by original levy or by increase, as the same stood charged by said
Commission against the respective properties on December the 31st, 1926,
are hereby ratified and confirmed and determined to be a reasonable
charge, and such front foot benefit charges as the same had been levied
or increased by said Commission are hereby declared to be a lien upon