Whenever heretofore any plans or specifications for any county building or improvement, whether for county or poor purposes, have been prepared by any architect or engineer under contract or agreement between such architect or engineer and a board or boards, other than the board of county commissioners, acting under the presumption that the board entering into such contract had full and complete legal authority to do so, when in fact such contract should have been entered into by county commissioners, and such plans or specifications have been submitted to and accepted for the benefit of such county or district by the board with which the contract or agreement was made, the county commissioners of said county may, by resolution, recognize the moral obligation of the county, and provide for the payment of the fees of such architect or engineer for the preparation of such plans or specifications, or such part thereof as to them seems just and proper, out of the county funds.