improvements.

1. The care, operation and maintenance of any works of the river improvement district shall be subject to the control and supervision of the department. It shall be the duty of the department to maintain any works constructed by it in serviceable condition. To that end the department is authorized to hire employees, purchase or rent land, buildings, tools or machinery, to let work by contract or to carry out projects by day labor. The procedure to be followed for the authorization, financing and assessment of the cost of such work or purchases shall be that specified in section 15-2303 except that proceedings may be initiated by the department of its own motion. In cases where a permanent maintenance or operating force is necessary, the department may annually prepare a maintenance budget which shall be treated as a repair project under subdivision 2 below.

2. Major repairs, alterations, extensions and improvements in any river improvement district may be made by the department on petition therefor and after procedure thereon similar to that specified in section 15-2303 hereof, for original construction. If additional surveys are required, they may be authorized and paid for as provided in section 15-2303 hereof, except that the cost of surveys and other expenses may be included in the cost of the improvement and assessed on the properties benefited in accordance with the benefits to be derived from such improvements. Except where the department shall otherwise determine, the cost of improvements and repairs on works already built under the provisions of title 23 of this article, shall be assessed in the same manner as the original cost was assessed, but the department may make a new assessment by following the procedure above specified. Any such project for repairs, alterations, extensions and improvements may be initiated by the department.