Within a time as the Department of Transportation by order directs, the municipal officers or county commissioners shall cause the bushes to be cut down and removed, or chemically treated, and shall cause the trees, fences, signboards or other encroachments to be trimmed, cut down or removed and from time to time, as may be ordered by the department, to keep them trimmed, cut down or removed, and the expense shall in the first instance be paid by the municipality where the labor is performed, but, on the filing with the department of proper proof of the payment, 1/2 of any amount shall be repaid by the State to the municipality. The payment shall be paid from the appropriation for the operation of the department. Any expense incurred by the department in applying chemical treatment, or to properly trim, cut down or remove and from time to time, as may be necessary, to keep trimmed, cut down and removed, bushes, trees and signboards, shall be borne by the department.   [PL 1989, c. 398, §8 (NEW).]