J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                          1287

Bills for the amount of the water and sewer service charges as above
specified shall be sent quarterly or semi-annually, as the Commis-
sion may determine, to each property served, and shall be thereon
payable at the office of the Commission; and if any bill remain un-
paid after thirty days from date of sending, the Commission shall,
after written notice left upon the premises or mailed to the last
known address of the owner, turn off the water from the property in
question, and the water shall not be turned on again until said bill
shall have been paid, including [a penalty of two dollars.] such
monetary penalties as the Commission may from time to time adopt
by resolution. If any bill shall remain unpaid for sixty days after
being sent by the Commission, it shall be collectible from the owner
of the property served in the same manner as other debts are collect-
ible in the County and said ready-to-serve charge, other service
charges and all penalties shall be a first lien against said property.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1961.

Approved May 3, 1961.

CHAPTER 747
(House Bill 715)

AN ACT to repeal and reenact with amendments Section 5 (a) of
the Code of Public Local Laws of Howard County (1957 Edition),
being Article 14 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland,
title "Howard County," sub-title "Building Regulations," so as to
authorize and empower the County Commissioners of Howard
County to delegate to the Howard County Metropolitan Commis-
sion the authority and duty to inspect the construction, installa-
tion and equipment of gas fixtures, devices and connections from
the outlet of the meter supplying any building, in accordance with
rules and regulations adopted by the County Commissioners of
Howard County, such authority so delegated to include the power
to require a permit for any such construction, installation and
equipment and to charge a fee therefor.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 5 (a) of the Code of Public Local Laws of Howard
County (1957 Edition), being Article 14 of the Code of Public Local
Laws of Maryland, title "Howard County", sub-title "Building Regu-
lations," be and the same is hereby repealed and reenacted with
amendments to read as follows:

5. Building regulations; authorized, enforcement.

(a) The County Commissioners of Howard County are hereby
given full power and authority to direct in what parts of Howard
County buildings of wood may be erected, and to regulate, restrain
or prohibit, in its discretion, the erection of buildings or structures
of wood, frame or wood composition, within the present limits of
Howard County or any thickly populated portion thereof and to re-
move the same at the owner's expense as herein provided, when