1962                                          LAWS OF MARYLAND                                Ch. 710

MARYLAND, That Section 151 of the Public Local Laws of
St. Mary's County being Article 19 of the Public Local
Laws of Maryland (1965 Edition and 1974 Supplement, as
amended) be and it is hereby repealed and reenacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

Article 19

151.

(a)    The County Commissioners of St. Mary's County,
[shall have the power] by ordinance or resolution, [of]
MAY [condemning, laying out, opening, extending and
making] CONDEMN, LAYOUT, OPEN, EXTEND AND MAKE new roads
and [for altering, straightening, widening, grading,
improving, or closing] ALTER, STRAIGHTEN, WIDEN, GRADE,
IMPROVE, OR CLOSE up in whole or in part any existing
road, and [for removing] REMOVE trees, posts and other
obstructions, and [for building] BUILD or [laying] LAY
out public bridges or drains, when in their opinion the
public necessity or convenience requires the same,
without any previous application or petition,

(b)    The County Commissioners may contract with the
owner or owners of the land for the purpose of laying
out, opening, extending and making new roads, bridges or
drains, or for altering, straightening, widening,
grading, improving or for closing up in whole or in part
any existing public road, bridge or drain, or for the
right of way over the land necessary therefor if he, she
or they be competent to contract; and [in case] IF the
County Commissioners [shall so] contract IN THIS MANNER
they shall cause a plat of the [said] road to be made,
filed and recorded in the office of the Clerk of the
Circuit Court for St. Mary's County, with the deed or
deeds conveying the land [so] acquired, [which] AND THE
plat shall be referred to in and [shall be] IS a part of
[said] THE deed or deeds, and the lands [so] conveyed
[shall be and become] ARE thenceforth the property of St.
Mary's County, and [be] subject to the purposes and uses
for which granted.

(C) (1) THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MAY CONSTRUCT
AND IMPROVE ROADS AND DRAINAGE INCIDENT TO CONSTRUCTION
OR IMPROVEMENT ON OR ALONG PRIVATE ROADS AFTER THE
APPROVAL OF A PETITION OF THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY
OWNERS WHOSE PROPERTY ABUTS ON THE ROAD TO BE CONSTRUCTED
OR IMPROVED REQUESTING THAT THE ROADS BE TAKEN INTO THE
COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM. IN THE EXERCISE OF THE POWERS
GRANTED BY THIS SUBSECTION THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BY
PROPER ORDINANCE, PASSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
PROVISIONS OF SECTION 3 OF ARTICLE 25 OF THE ANNOTATED
CODE OF THIS STATE MAY ADOPT ALL NECESSARY RULES AND
CONDITIONS FOR THE ACCEPTANCE, CONSTRUCTION AND
MAINTENANCE OF ROADS OR OTHER AUTHORIZED IMPROVEMENTS BY
THE COUNTY. THE ORDINANCE SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE METHOD
OF DETERMINATION OF THE ANNUAL BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS LEVIED
AGAINST THE ABUTTING PROPERTIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF