SEC. 9. To be at office during council meetings. -The city comptroller shall be in his office during the regular monthly meetings of the common council, and during special meetings when thereto required by the mayor or council, to perform such duties of his office as may become necessary during such meetings. [R. O. 1888, Chap. 17, Sec. 9.

SEC. 10. To furnish stationery.—It is hereby made the duty of the city comptroller to keep on hand at all times a sufficient quantity of general office stationery and office supplies for the transaction of the business of the city, and to issue the same to the different departments, on requisition from the officers thereof. In case supplies are needed which, for any reason, are not kept on hand, it shall be the duty of the comptroller to issue an order to the head of the department applying for the same, for its purchase, such order to be attached to the bill for the goods purchased thereunder, and no bill for such goods shall be paid without such order being attached thereto : Provided, that the order herein required shall not be issued by the comptroller unless there be sufficient funds to the credit of the department named, not otherwise appropriated. In securing such stock of supplies and in replenishing same, the comptroller shall receive bids from all firms dealing therein and award the contract to the lowest and best bidder. [G. O. No. 458, Sec. 1.

SEC. 11. Comptroller may appoint deputy. The comptroller is hereby authorized to appoint a deputy comptroller, who shall be a practical bookkeeper at a salary not to exceed twelve hundred dollars per annum, who shall perform the work of a bookkeeper and clerk in his said office, and who may act as deputy comptroller. [R. O. 1888, Chap. 17, Sec. 11. Amended G. O. No. 345.

SEC. 12.

Appointment of deputy may be canceled. The appointment of a deputy by the comptroller may be canceled at any time at the will of the comptroller, and the

person appointed shall hold such appointment at the will of the comptroller, and may be suspended or removed at any time. by the comptroller. Such deputy before entering upon the duties of his appointment shall execute a bond to the said comptroller to be approved by the comptroller, in the sum of ten thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful performance of all the duties of his appointment, which bond shall be deposited with the comptroller. [R. O. 1888, Chap. 17. Amended G. O. No. 345.

SECTION 1. Plats to be furnished to city counselor. Whenever the common council shall provide by ordinance for establishing, opening, widening or altering any street, avenue, alley, market place or public square, or route for a sewer, or to condemn private property for other or different public uses than those already specified in this section, and it is necessary to take private property for the same, the city engineer, shall, upon request of the city counselor, furnish all necessary plats, showing the property affected by the proposed. improvement, and the metes and bounds and the names of the owners thereof. [G. O. No. 517, Sec. 1.

SEC. 2. City clerk shall make out certificate of awards. After final action is taken by the circuit court on the report of the commissioners in any street or alley opening proceeding, and said report has been duly received and recorded by the city clerk in his office, and the common council have made an appropriation for the payment out of the city treasury of the damages awarded, and value of property taken, it shall be the duty of the city clerk to make out certificates of awards,

in accordance with the report of the commissioners for the damages awarded, and he shall also issue special tax bills in accordance with said report against all parties and pieces and parcels of property charged with benefits, in which shall be included costs pro rata as adjudged by the court, if any have accrued since said report was filed. [G. O. No. 517, Sec. 2.

SEC. 3. Tax bills to be recorded and delivered to treasurer. The city clerk shall deliver said special tax bills to the city engineer, taking triplicate receipts therefor, one to be filed with the auditor, one with the comptroller and the third to be filed in his own office. The city engineer, upon receipt of such tax bills, shall proceed forthwith to record the same in a book to be provided for that purpose, showing the name of the present owner as given in or upon each bill, the property assessed and the date and amount of the bill. As soon as said tax bills are recorded, and within five days from the date of their receipt by him, the city engineer shall deliver said tax bills to the city treasurer, taking triplicate receipts therefor, one to be filed with the auditor, one with the comptroller and the third retained. [G. O. No. 517, Sec. 3.

SEC. 4. Tax bills-how collected. The city treasurer shall, upon receipt of such tax bills, forthwith send by mail, to each of the parties interested by name, a written or printed notice that said special tax bills are in his hands for collection, and will remain there for a period of thirty days from the date of their receipt by him, naming such date. [G. O. No. 517, Sec. 4.

SEC. 5. Suits to be begun, when. Upon the expiration of the thirty days provided in the last section, all bills unpaid shall be delivered by the city treasurer to the city. counselor, who shall thereupon proceed to collect the same by suits instituted in the name of the city of St. Joseph for that purpose. [G. O. No. 517, Sec. 5.

SEC. 6. Compensation of commissioners. - In all proceedings to establish, open, widen, or alter any street,

avenue, alley, market place or public square, or route for a sewer, the commissioners appointed by the circuit court shall be entitled to have and receive from the city treasury for their services as such the sum of three dollars each for each day's services in the case. [G. O. No. 517, Sec. 6.

SECTION.

CHAPTER XXII.

CONTRACTS-AWARDS FOR PUBLIC WORK.

1. Public work to be advertised and bids received.

2. Contracts to be let to lowest bidder.

3. Contract let; terms thereof.

SECTION 1.

SECTION.

4. Performance to be secured.

5. Contract to be approved by counselor.

6. Statement of awards to include what information.

Public work-engineer shall advertise for proposals. Whenever any public improvement shall be ordered by an ordinance of the common council, the city engineer shall advertise for proposals for doing said work; a plan or profile of the work to be done, accompanied with specifications for doing the same, being first placed on file in the office of said engineer; which said plan, profile and specifications shall at all reasonable times be open for public inspection; said advertisement shall be inserted in the official paper of the city and continued for at least ten days, (unless required by the common council, in any specific case, to change the time), and shall state the work to be done. The bids for the doing of such work shall be sealed bids directed to said engineer, and shall be accompanied with a certified check for such an amount, as may be required in the advertisement not to exceed two per cent of the estimated cost of the public improvement, but in no case for a less amount than one hundred dollars; said check to be drawn upon some solvent banking institution in the city of St. Joseph, and in favor of the city comptroller for the use of the city and signed by the bidder, conditioned that in case the contract shall be awarded to him, that he will within ten days thereafter, enter into contract with said

city for the performance of the work for the price mentioned in his bid, and according to the plans and specifications; and in case of detault on his part to enter into such contract within the time specified, said certified check and the amount named therein shall at once forfeit to and become payable to said comptroller for the use of the city and be at once, by him, paid over to the city treasurer, who shall receipt for the same. All amounts so forfeited to the city and deposited with the treasurer by the comptroller shall be made a part of the fund for city printing. Said bids shall be opened at the hour and place mentioned in said notice by the comptroller in conjunction with the city engineer. [R. O. 1888, Chap. 20, Sec. 1. Amended G. O. No. 350.

SEC. 2. Contract to be let to lowest bidder, when.—All contracts shall be awarded by the city engineer to the lowest reliable and responsible bidder or bidders, who shall have complied with the foregoing requisitions, and who will sufficiently guarantee, to the satisfaction of the comptroller, the performance of said work under the superintendence and to the satisfaction of the city engineer: Provided, that the contract price does not exceed the estimate or such other sum as shall be satisfactory to the mayor and common council. In case the mayor and common council should, for any reason, reject all the bids offered, the city engineer shall proceed to advertise such work again, at the option of the common council, and proceed as provided in section one of this ordinance. [R. O. 1888, Chap. 20, Sec. 2.

SEC. 3. Contract let-terms thereof.-Upon any contract being awarded as aforesaid, the city engineer shall enter into contract with said bidder for the faithful performance of the work awarded to him in accordance with the conditions, requirements and specifications thereof; and every contract entered into as aforesaid, shall contain a clause that the same is entered into subject to existing ordinances of the city and the approval of the common council, and the city