Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                    213

if a new street is involved, any division of a parcel of land [; pro-
vided that a division of land into lots or parcels of five (5) acres or
more and not involving a new street shall not be deemed a sub-
division]. The term includes resub-division and, when appropriate
to the context, shall relate to the process of sub-dividing or to the land
sub-divided.

(b). The term "street" or "road" means a way for vehicular
traffic, of such width, design, construction, and specifications as the
Howard County Planning Commission's regulations now require or
might hereafter require.

230B. The Howard County Planning Commission shall elect its
Chairman from amongst its appointed members and create and fill
such other of its offices as it may determine, subject to the approval
of the County Commissioners. The term of chairman shall be for a
period of one year, with eligibility for re-election. The Commission
shall hold at least one regular meeting a month, and it shall adopt
rules for transaction of business and shall keep a record of its reso-
lutions, transactions, findings, and determinations, which record shall
be a public record. The Commission is hereby empowered to establish
a schedule of fees and charges for the filing and for the preliminary
and final approval of plats required under this sub-title.

230-L. Whoever, being the owner or agent of the owner of any
land located within a subdivision, transfers or sells or leases or agrees
to sell or negotiates to sell any land by reference to, or exhibition of,
[of] a plat or by any other means and every bargainee or transferee
and the agent of such bargainee or transferee who shall accept or
knowingly be a party to any such transfer, lease or sale before a plat
has been approved by the Planning Commission and recorded, or
filed, in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Howard County,
shall each forfeit and pay a penalty of [One Hundred Dollars
($100.00)] Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each lot or parcel
so transferred, leased, or sold, or agreed, or negotiated to be sold;
and the description of a lot or parcel by metes and bounds in the in-
strument of transfer or other document used in the process of selling
or transferring shall not exempt the transaction from such penalties
or from the remedies herein provided. The Board of County Com-
missioners of Howard County may enjoin such transfer or lease or
sale or agreement by action for injunction brought in any court of
equity jurisdiction or may recover the said penalty by civil action in
any court of competent jurisdiction, or both. In addition to the fore-
going the County Commissioners may institute and maintain a civil
action to set aside and invalidate any conveyance made in violation of
this section.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby declared
to be an emergency Act and necessary for the immediate preserva-
tion of the public health and safety and having been passed by a yea
and nay vote supported by three-fifths of all the members elected to
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly of Maryland, the
same shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved March 11, 1957.