THEODORE K. MCKELDIN, GOVERNOR 1221

approval entered in writing on the plat by the Chairman of
said Commission and the Planning Commissioner.

230J. (a) Before exercising the powers referred to in Section
230-1, the Howard County Planning Commission shall prepare
regulations governing the subdivision of land within its juris-
diction. Such regulations may provide for the proper arrange-
ment of streets, in relation to other existing planned streets and
to the master plan, for adequate and convenient open spaces
traffic, utilities, access of fire-fighting apparatus, recreation,
health, light and air, and for the avoidance of congestion of
population, including minimum width and area of lots.

(b) Such regulations may include provision as to the extent
to which streets and other ways shall be graded and improved
and to which water and sewer and other utility mains, piping,
or other facilities shall be installed as a condition precedent to
the approval of the plat. The regulations or practice of the
Planning Commission may provide for a tentative approval of
the plat previous to such installation; but any such tentative
approval shall be revocable and shall not be entered on the
plat. In lieu of the completion of such improvements and utili-
ties prior to the final approval of the plat, the Planning Com-
mission may accept a bond with surety to secure to the County
the actual construction and installation of such improvements
or utilities at a time and according to specifications fixed by
or in accordance with regulations of the Planning Commission.
The County is hereby granted the power to enforce such bond
by all appropriate legal and equitable remedies.

(c) Before any regulations shall be submitted to the Board
of County Commissioners of Howard County for adoption, a
public hearing shall be held thereon and all such regulations,
or, if in the opinion of the Planning Commission it is best, a
brief synopsis of such regulations, sufficient to inform a person
of ordinary intelligence of the nature and contents of such
regulations, together with the time and place of such public
hearing, shall be published once or more, if the Planning Com-
mission deems best, in a weekly newspaper published and in
general circulation in Howard County. When such regulations
are adopted by said Board of County Commissioners, a copy
thereof shall be certified by said Commission to the Clerk of
the Circuit Court for Howard County, for record.

230K. The Planning Commission shall approve or disap-
prove a plat within sixty (60) days after the submission thereof
to it; otherwise such plat shall be deemed to have been ap-
proved, and a certificate to that effect shall be issued by the
Planning Commissioner on demand. Provided, however, that