Case Information
*1 417 OFFICE OF THE AtTORNEYGENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN *2 Eonoreble CherlMi 8. mrtie, Pe&r 8
vhe nvalntenence, oonetrwtlon 6t.01, nlee- to (the tiM6d in my inqU%X’y ir aOt OOfi?ined ooQE#tructlon end 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.* Seotlon 19 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 iat invvXved uxileaa the eaglneering g2en.e end ~pmirimS~n~ end est$.metse heve been prepared by, and the vngiaearing oonrtmetfon 16 Co be erveu$ed under the Ufrclat rupsrviaivn 0f.e registsrul rofesslonel snglncrr; wotidod, that nothing: 0 this Aot aball be h&d, to app2.y to say E pablio work whrrrb tha oont6mplet6fl vzpeadi- turo ivr the arm lotvd pxo4vaot 4vnr not 6med Throv Thounan& ( 88 ,ooO.QQ) Dol16mc 3 ProvM64, th6.t thlr Aat shell ast epply to eey rord aeinteneaoe or betterment work mder%ekee by the county coamle*lonsr~' Couru" The term "publle work6' eabreou Ella conatrwtion ~4 isprwmumtr , orQlnexily or a mixed netuxe Qesiqned for publlb we, pratsotion or enjQ$laent. Clserly leeluded~unoeg public-work8 are bridgesi ROhOpl bdBling8, WWtOZW~ti~ daDu, l eu6r*, oanelm and obeneeLe, Levee8 and eeewelle, whervee and pier0, irrl&lon, r60lUntUtion end dr+e@ project*, end hl@weyr end etreete. lndlvrd, everjr@rkunder%eken by the State, e Oounty, munfoi$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 meaJle fmgroV6- hente to property better the!% repeire. BoUYier’tI Law Dio- *3 l?. Wwtin, Page b Honorable Cherlea
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 azkglneer es tlerinad in 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 8 9,000.00~ 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,oounty Commit- :. alonera' Court.
Where, however the aotlnt Commissloner6~ Court en&gel. in the oonrtrue&n of pub1 f 6 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 Im the opinion or thin dvpertmnent that, engineering, it while a non-englnemr oould 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 lruch engineer.
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