Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

417 OFFICEOF THE AtTORNEYGENERALOF TEXAS AUSTIN Eonoreble CherlMi 8. mrtie, Pe&r 8 vhe nvalntenence,oonetrwtlon 6t.01,nlee- tiM6d in my inqU%X’y ir aOt OOfi?ined to (the ooQE#tructlonend xmlntenanoe of just county roeda, but includes the ootvltmctlon end meln- tcrwnos of other publio worka. Alno the pro- posed work by such 8upetintsnC~t aculd oover e period 0r t5m.* Seotlon19 or Artiols 3871%. Bsrnon*s Annotetod Clvll Statutes, provides a8 hollower 936~. 196 Artsr ths first day 0r %xnaary, 193S, it aball lo unlewfnl for thle State, or for any or fta political subUivblon6, for eny oounty, city, or town to sngeg6 in the aon- struotibn or a0y publlo work invoiviw Qrvrer- sionel eagiwarlng, wher6 publlo health; pub110 w6lrure or publie aarsty iatinvvXved uxileaa the eaglneering g2en.eend ~pmirimS~n~end est$.metse heve been prepared by, and the vngiaearing oonrtmetfon 16 Co be erveu$ed under the Ufrclatrupsrviaivn 0f.e registsrul rofesslonel snglncrr; wotidod, that nothing: E 0 this Aot aball be h&d, to app2.yto say pablio workwhrrrb tha oont6mplet6flvzpeadi- turo ivr the arm lotvd pxo4vaot4vnr not 6med Throv Thounan& ( 88 ,ooO.QQ) Dol16mc 3ProvM64, th6.tthlr Aat shell ast epply to eey rord aeinteneaoe or betterment work mder%ekee by the county coamle*lonsr~'Couru" The term "publle work6' eabreou Ellaconatrwtion ~4 isprwmumtr , orQlnexily or a mixed netuxe Qesiqned for publlb we, pratsotion or enjQ$laent. Clserly leeluded~unoeg public-work8 are bridgesi ROhOpl bdBling8, WWtOZW~ti~ daDu, leu6r *,oanelm and obeneeLe, Levee8 and eeewelle, whervee and pier0, irrl&lon, r60lUntUtionend dr+e@ project*, end hl@weyr end etreete. lndlvrd,everjr@rkunder%eken by the State, e Oounty, munfoi$elftp or Other publio agency 1s ne~eeserlly in the broedert emwe, a *publie ‘10rlP. 34 Tax. Jar. 7&l. The ward *bsttimmnttP ordl~%xily meaJlefmgroV6- hente to property better the!%repeire. BoUYier’tI Law Dio- Honorable Cherlea l?. Wwtin, Page b tiorlary. We oonstrue the meaning of the worb 'Cbsttermnt work",as ueed in the ti8t mmtenae or the quoted be~tlon, however, a~ refsrri~ only to betterment work In oonmoticn with roeds. It is the opinion of this department, under the rm8 stated, that Section 19, supre, Qoee not prohibit the ColPrPlssioneca* Oourt from eppointfng B person not pos- eesaln$ the quelifiOationo~of an azkglneeres tlerinadin Artiola SE71e, 7. A. C. S., ar e superintendent in tha con- struotion of Qubllo works whsrr the ao8tam lated sxpenditum ror the oov@eted pojsot doss no% sxoeed 89,000.00~ nor ddee said motion prohibit the Cvnef8sfomrr* Court frosl agpolnting auoh a person to aupsroiae any raad meintsmcnea or mad betfsmenf mrk underteken by -ths,oountyCommit- alonera' Court. :. Where, however the aotlnt Commissloner6~ Court en&gel. in the oonrtrue&n of pub1f6 worke whersln the oonteaQlated expenditure ror the ooaplsted projeot sxoredr &3,000.00, end such work.involves publio health, publle welfare or publie 8atsty, and altao lnvolver professlone engineering, it Im the opinion or thin dvpertmnent that, while a non-englnemroould be ap alated ee gansnal sugw- viaor of auch oormtrwtfon, Qdat f 05 19 require6 th6 oounty to .enploy a registered prorrerio~l enginssr to prapere the cm&mrrfng pleas ehd spselfisetlon~~and ostlmtov, and the engineering oonstruotion, liketim, must be executed L under the direat supervlslon of lruchengineer. Iðer the oonetruotlon of a parti4uler public wcrlc involves "proferrlriOna1 engineori& end whether *pub- lto hsslth, publio welfare or publlo #ef&Yv ia involved, are questions of feot, and eoneequsntly not 8ubjeat to being ruled on by this depertment. Trusting thet the foregoing fully an6were your ingary, we are 9-J