CHAPTER 359

An Act to authorize certain counties to prohibit the use of public property
owned or controlled by such counties, for certain purposes without
approval by the governing bodies of such counties and to provide
penalties for violations.

[H 268]

Approved April 2, 1954

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia as follows:

1. §1. The governing body of any county with a population of more
than fifty-six thousand five hundred but less than sixty-five thousand
inhabitants, may by ordinance require any person, firm, corporation,
association, or partnership, whether or not regulated by the State Corpora-
tion Commission who undertakes, for any purpose, to occupy or uSe any
of the streets, avenues, parks, bridges or any other public places or any
public easement of any description owned or controlled by such county,
for the purpose of constructing or establishing a water or sewerage system
or extending any part of an existing water or sewerage system, to obtain
the consent thereto of the governing body of the county, or its designated
agent, and to make violations of such ordinance a misdemeanor with each
day’s continuance thereof being a separate offense. Such ordinance may
provide that such occupancy shall be deemed a nuisance and the court or
trial justice trying the case shall have power to cause the nuisance to be
abated and to commit the offenders and all their agents and employees
engaged in such offenses to jail until such order of the court shall be
obeyed.

The provisions of such ordinance shall not apply to any water or
sewerage system which has been or shall hereafter be constructed, estab-
lished or extended pursuant to contract entered into prior to the effective
date of such ordinance.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.