Chap. 22.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section thirteen of the charter ot the
town of Bediord, as heretofore amended. Is B lol]

Approved February 18, 1928

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section thirteen of an act entitled an act to provide a new charter
ior the town of Liberty, to extend its corporate Jimits and to
change the name to Bedtord City, as amended by an act, approved
March twenty-fourth, nineteen hundred and twenty-two, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 13. In addition to the powers conterred by the general
statutes, the council of the town shall have power to lay off streets,
allevs or walks, to take care, supervision, and control of streets,
allevs, walks, squares and commons, and to close, extend, widen,
narrow, lav out, pave, graduate, improve and otherwise alter the
streets, alleys or walks in said town; have the streets or alleys
properly lighted and kept in good order; make or construct sewers
or public ducts through the same. or wherever else they may deem
expedient; build bridges in or culverts under said streets or alleys,
prevent or remove obstructions or encroachments over, under or im
the same; plant shade trees along the same and prevent the cum-
bering of streets, alleys, walks, public squares, lanes or bridges in
any manner whatever.

And in the event of the closing of any street or allev, or any
part ot such street or alley in said town, to sell and convey to any
person, firm or corporation all of the town’s right, title and interest
in and to such street or alley or any part thereof which has here-
tofure or which may hereafter be closed by the council. Such con-
vevances shall be made by the mayor or by an officer designated
by the council of said town, and the corporate seal of the town
shall be affixed thereto, and attested by the clerk of the couneil.
Such sale and conveyance shall, however, be made subject to the
nght of any abutting lot owners whose lots are situated on said
street or allev, who have built or purchased such property on said
street or alley in the reliance of the perpetual public easement in
said street or alley, to compensation for any damages they may sus-
tain by reason of the closing of such street or alley, or any part
thereof, or the sale and conveyance thereof.

Said council shall also have the power to lay off public grounds
and provide all buildings for the town: to provide a prison-house
and work-house, and employ managers, physicians, nurses and
servants for the same, prescribe regulations for their government,
and discipline, and for persons therein; to prescribe the time for.
holding markets and regulate the same; to prevent injurv or an-
novanse from .anything dangerous, offensive or unhealthy, and:
cause any nuisance to be abated; to regulate the keeping of gun-
powder or other combustibles, and provide magazines for the same;
to provide places for the interment of the dead near the town; to
acquire or otherwise obtain control of or establish, maintain, oper-
ate, extend and enlarge water works, gas works, electric plants, and
other public utilities within or without the limits of the town, for
the purpose of supplying the consumers in the town of Bedford and
without tne town in the county of Bedford with water, gas, lights,
power, et cetera, and for the public use and for such other purposes
as are permitted by the laws of the State; and to contract with any
public service corporation for the purpose aforesaid; to acquire
within or without the limits of the town by purchase, condemna-
tion or otherwise whatever land may be necessary for acquiring,
locating, establishing, maintaining, operating, extending, or en-
larging said water works, gas works, electric plants and other pub-
lic utilities, and the rights of ways, rails, pipes, poles, conduits or
wires connected therewith, or any of the fixtures or appurtenances
thereof; to keep on hand, sell and supply to customers of its elec-
tric plant and water works, without profit to the town, motors,
lamps, electric fixtures, heating devices and other materials or
supplies used by consumers of electric power or water; to lease or
own, operate or maintain, rock quarries for the purpose of obtain-
ing material for use upon the public places or works of the town;
to prevent the pollution of water and injuries to water works, for
which purpose its jurisdiction shall extend to five miles above the
same; and to protect from injury, by ordinances prescribing ade-
quate penalties and by prosecutions in the State courts, the pipes,
poles, wires, fixtures, land or other things used in connection with
the water works, electric plant or other public utility ; to make, erect
and construct, within or without said town, drains, sewers and
public ducts, and to acquire within or without said town by pur-
chase, condemnation or otherwise, so much land as may be neces-
sary to make, erect, construct, operate and maintain the same; to
make regulations concerning the building of houses in the town,
and in its discretion to establish and maintain parks, play-grounds
and boulevards, and cause the same to be laid out, equipped or
beautified, and in particular districts, or along particular streets, tc
prescribe and establish building lines, or to require property owners
in certain localities or districts to leave a certain percentage of lots
iree from buildings, and to regulate the height of buildings: to
inaxe regulations for the purpose of guarding against danger from
accidents by fire, and, on the petition of the owners of not less
than two-thirds of the ground included in any square, to prohibit
the erection in such square of any building, or an addition to any
building more than ten feet high, unless the outer walls thereof be
made of brick and mortar, or stone and mortar, and provide for
the removal of any building or addition erected contrary to such
prohibition ; to provide for the weighing or measuring of hay, coal,
or any other articles for sale and regulate the transportation thereof
through the streets; protect the property of the town and its in-
habitants, and preserve peace and good order therein. The council
of the town may, at its discretion, authorize or require the fire
department thereof to render aid in cases of fire occurring beyond
its limits, and may prescribe the conditions of which such aid may
be rendered. For carrying into effect these and its other powers,
it may make ordinances and by-laws, and prescribe fines or other
punishment for violation thereof, keep a town guard, maintain a
chain-gang, appoint a collector of its taxes and levies, and such
other officers as it may deem proper, define their powers, prescribe
their duties and compensation, and take from any of them a bond,
with sureties, in such penalty as to the council may seem fit, payable
to the town by its corporate name, and with condition for the
faithful discharge of the said duties.

The council may make appropriations of public funds, of per-
sonal property, or of any real estate, to any charitable institution
or association, located within the limits of the town; provided such
institution or association is not controlled in whole or in part by
any church or sectarian society. But the words “sectarian society”
shall not be construed to mean a non-denominational young men’s
Christian association, or a non-denominational women’s Christian
association.

All fees, penalties and imprisonments shall be recovered or en-
forced under the judgment of the mayor, or the person exercising
his functions, for the benefit of the town, and in the case of a failure
to pay any fine or costs imposed by such judgment, the offender
may, in the discretion of the mayor or other officer, be required to
work the same out upon the public works of the town.

By reason of the fact that the town desires to immediately close
some of the streets of said town, an emergency is declared to exist,
and this act shall be in full force and effect immediately after its
passage.