Article I. In General.
Sec. 25-1. Director of public welfare designated; powers and
duties generally.[387]
The department of public welfare shall be under the control
and supervision of the city manager, who is hereby designated
as director of public welfare. Such director shall exercise
all powers and perform all duties conferred upon and
required of local welfare boards by state law, ordinance or
otherwise. (Code 1959, § 25-1.)
Sec. 25-2. Superintendent of public welfare[388]
—Appointment;
compensation.
The director of public welfare, subject to the approval of
the city council, shall appoint a superintendent of public welfare
who shall hold office at the pleasure of the director of
public welfare and shall receive such compensation as may be
fixed by the city council. (Code 1959, § 25-2.)
Sec. 25-3. Same—Powers and duties generally.
The superintendent of public welfare, subject to the approval
of the director of public welfare, shall have control
and direction of the public charities of the city, and shall see
that those persons now receiving or making application to
receive assistance from the poor fund of the city are worthy
cases. He shall perform such other duties as are or may
hereafter be prescribed by state law, the city council or the
city manager. (Code 1959, § 25-3.)
Sec. 25-4. Same—Remanding cases to district home.
The superintendent of public welfare shall remand such
cases to the district home as he may deem proper; provided,
that each such case shall first be approved by the city member
of the district home board. (Code 1959, § 25-4.)
Sec. 25-5. Same—Accounting for city funds; incurring indebtedness
beyond appropriation.
The superintendent of public welfare shall be responsible
and accountable to the city for the proper expenditure and
account of all funds appropriated by the city and no indebtedness
shall be incurred by him beyond the amount appropriated
by the council. (Code 1959, § 25-5.)
Sec. 25-6. Same—Reports.
The superintendent of public welfare shall cause to be made
on or before the tenth day of each month, to the director of
public welfare, a written report of the activities of his department
for the preceding month, on forms prescribed by
the director of public welfare. The superintendent shall also
furnish from time to time such additional reports and information
as may be required by the council or the director of
public welfare. (Code 1959, § 25-6.)
Sec. 25-7. Public welfare employees.
The director of public welfare shall appoint such welfare
employees as may be necessary for the operation of the welfare
department. Such employees shall hold office at the
pleasure of the director of public welfare and shall receive
such compensation as may be fixed by him and approved by
the state welfare department. (Code 1959, § 25-7.)
Sec. 25-8. Representative on district home board.[389]
The city council shall elect, for a term of two years, a representative
who shall be a member of the district home board.
The compensation of the representative shall be as fixed by
state law. (Code 1959, § 25-8.)
Sec. 25-9. Providing assistance to families unable to support
themselves.[390]
It shall be the duty of the superintendent of public welfare,
on application by or on behalf of any person or family unable
to support himself or themselves, or if he or they have a legal
settlement in the city, to provide for or assist such person
or family. No person shall be deemed to have a legal settlement
in the city until he has resided therein for one year nor
if he has migrated into the state within three years unless, at
the time of migrating, he was able to maintain himself. (Code
1959, § 25-9.)
Sec. 25-10. Removal of poor to last place of settlement.[391]
When it shall come to the knowledge of the superintendent
of public welfare that any person has come into the city who
is likely to become chargeable thereto, it shall be his duty to
report such cases to the chief of police for removal to the district
or county where such person was last settled. (Code
1959, § 25-10.)
Sec. 25-11. Aid to destitute nonresidents.
In cases in which a person who has not lived in the city for
a year is in the city, sick and destitute, or not in a condition
to provide for himself, he may be aided from the poor fund
until recovery or in a condition to provide for himself. The
superintendent of public welfare may discontinue the aid at
any time. If a person is in the city, sick and destitute, or if
any female or children, unable to provide for themselves, are
in the city and likely to become chargeable to the city, the
superintendent, with the consent of the director of public welfare,
may send such persons to their homes and the expense
of so doing shall be paid out of the poor fund. (Code 1959, §
25-11.)
Sec. 25-12. Burial of paupers.[392]
Any person dying in the city may be buried at the expense
of the city, upon an order from the superintendent of public
welfare, when, in the opinion of the superintendent, the estate
of the deceased is not sufficient to pay the expenses of burial.
Such burial shall in all cases be in the pauper section of the
cemetery. The expense incurred in the burial shall be charged
against the appropriation for public welfare. (Code 1959,
§ 25-12.)
Sec. 25-13. Audit and inventory in public welfare department.
The director of finance shall, annually, or as often as he
may deem necessary, audit the accounts and inventory the
property in the custody of the superintendent of public welfare
and shall require the person receiving and expending the
funds for public welfare to keep account of all receipts and
purchases in such manner as the director of finance may prescribe.
A report of such annual audit and inventory shall be
made to the city council not later than the thirtieth day of
September in each year. (Code 1959, § 25-13.)
Sec. 25-14. Welfare advisory board.
There is hereby created a welfare advisory board for the
city, which shall consist of five members, one of whom shall
be a member of the city council. The members of the board
shall be appointed by the mayor for terms of one year, expiring
on July 1 of each year, and shall serve without compensation.
The board shall act in an advisory capacity only and
shall advise the director of public welfare and the superintendent
of public welfare with respect to the merits of any
cases which may be referred to it by the director or superintendent
and may also on its own motion make recommendations
to the director of public welfare and the superintendent
of public welfare with respect to individual cases or general
policies. (Code 1959, § 25-14.)
