[CC 1989 §1-1; Ord. No. 1328 §1, 9-25-1989]
The ordinances embraced in the following Chapters and Sections shall constitute and be designated the "Municipal Code of the City of Town and Country, Missouri", and may be so cited. Alternatively, when the context is clear this Code may be cited as the "Municipal Code".
[CC 1989 §1-2; Ord. No. 1410 §8, 7-23-1990]
The terms used in this Code, unless otherwise specifically defined, shall have the meanings prescribed by the Revised Statutes of Missouri for the same terms.
In the construction of this Code, and of all ordinances, the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Board of Aldermen.
BOARD
The Board of Aldermen of the City.
BOND
When a bond is required, an undertaking in writing is sufficient unless otherwise required by State law or this Code.
CITY
Whenever the words "the City" or "this City" are used they shall be construed as if the words "of Town and Country, Missouri" followed them, and include the present area of the City as well as any future alterations thereof.
CODE
The Code of Ordinances of the City.
COMPUTATION OF TIME
The time within which an act is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first (1st) day and including the last. If the last day is Sunday it shall be excluded.
COUNTY
References to "County" shall mean the County of St. Louis in the State of Missouri unless otherwise stated.
COURT
The Municipal Court of the City unless some other court is specifically referred to herein.
DEFINITIONS
Unless otherwise expressly provided, definitions given within a Chapter, Article, Division or Section apply only to words or phrases used in such Chapter, Article, Division or Section.
DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
Whenever a provision authorizes or requires an officer or head of a department of the City to perform some act, such provision shall be construed to authorize the officer or department head so named to designate, delegate and authorize subordinates to perform the authorized or required act unless the terms of the ordinance state otherwise.
DESIGNEE
The word "designee," following an official of the City, means the authorized agent, employee or representative of such official.
GENDER
A word importing the masculine gender only shall extend and be applied to females and to firms, partnerships and corporations as well as to males.
HERETOFORE, HEREAFTER
"Heretofore" means anytime previous to the day when the ordinance containing it takes effect; and "hereafter" means the time after the ordinance containing it takes effect.
INTERPRETATION
In the interpretation and application of any provision of this Code, it shall be held to be the minimum requirement adopted for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. Where any provision of the Code imposes greater restrictions upon the subject matter than another, more general provision imposed by the Code, the provision imposing the greater restriction or regulation shall be deemed to be controlling.
JOINT AUTHORITY
Words importing joint authority to three (3) or more persons shall be construed as authority to a majority of the persons, unless otherwise declared in the law giving the authority.
KEEPER AND PROPRIETOR
Shall mean and include persons, firms, associations, corporations, clubs and partnerships, whether acting by themselves or through a servant, agent or employee.
MONTH
A calendar month.
NAME OF OFFICER
Whenever the name of an officer is given it shall be construed as though the words "of the City of Town and Country" were added.
NON-TECHNICAL AND TECHNICAL WORDS
Words and phrases shall be taken in their plain or ordinary and usual sense, but technical words and phrases having a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be understood according to their technical import.
NUMBER
Whenever, in any ordinance, words importing the plural number are used in describing or referring to any matter, parties or persons, any single matter, party or person is included, although distributive words are not used. When any subject matter, party or person is described or referred to by words importing the singular number or the masculine gender, several matters and persons, and females as well as males, and bodies corporate as well as individuals, are included.
OATH
The word "oath" shall be construed to include an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in such cases the words "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the words "affirm" and "affirmed".
OR, AND
"Or" may be read "and", and "and" may be read "or" if the sense requires it.
OWNER
The word "owner", applied to a building or land, shall include any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common, tenant in partnership, joint tenant, or tenant by the entirety, of the whole or of a part of such building or land.
PERSON
The word "person" may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Includes every species of property except real property, as herein described.
PRECEDING, FOLLOWING
The words "preceding" and "following" mean next before and next after, respectively.
PREMISES
Whenever the word "premises" is used it shall mean place or places.
PROPERTY
Shall include real and personal property, unless otherwise stated.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any public way, park, cemetery, school yard or open space adjacent thereto, and all waterways.
REAL PROPERTY, PREMISES, REAL ESTATE OR LANDS
Is coextensive with lands, tenements and hereditaments.
RSMo.
May be used as an abbreviation for the "Revised Statutes of Missouri".
SHALL, MAY
The term "shall" is mandatory and the term "may" is permissive.
SIDEWALK
That portion of the street between the curb line and the adjacent property line which is intended for the use of pedestrians, including sidewalks over private property where curb line and property line are the same.
STATE
References to "State" shall mean the State of Missouri.
STREET
All surfaces used for vehicular traffic, including public or private rights-of-way which afford the principal means of access by vehicles to abutting properties, and excluding parking lot entrance drives and circulating drives in non-residential developments and private driveways in residential developments. The word "street" shall be construed to include major streets, minor streets, local streets, roads, avenues, boulevards, alleys, lanes, viaducts and all other public ways in the City.
TENANT, OCCUPANT
The word "tenant" or "occupant" applied to a building or land, shall include any person occupying the whole or part of such buildings or lands, either alone or with others.
WEEK
The word "week" shall be construed to mean seven (7) days.
YEAR
A calendar year unless otherwise specified.
[CC 1989 §1-5]
Unless otherwise provided in this Code, this Code shall apply to acts performed within the corporate limits of the City. The provisions of this Code shall also apply to acts performed outside the corporate limits and up to the limits prescribed by law where the law confers power on the City to regulate such particular acts outside the corporate limits.
[CC 1989 §1-6]
The catchlines of the several Sections of this Code printed in boldface type are intended as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the Sections and shall not be deemed or taken to be Titles of such Sections, or as any part of the Sections, nor, unless expressly so provided, shall they be so deemed when any of such Sections, including the catchlines, are amended or reenacted.
When a law repealing a former law, clause or provision is itself repealed, it does not revive the former law, clause or provision, unless it is otherwise expressly provided; nor shall any law repealing any former law, clause or provision abate, annul or in any wise affect any proceedings had or commenced under or by virtue of the law so repealed, but the same is as effectual and shall be proceeded on to final judgment and termination as if the repealing law had not passed, unless it is otherwise expressly provided.
A. 
No offense committed and no fine, penalty or forfeiture incurred, or prosecution commenced or pending previous to or at the time when any ordinance is repealed or amended, shall be affected by the repeal or amendment, but the trial and punishment of all such offenses, and the recovery of the fines, penalties or forfeitures shall be had, in all respects, as if the provision had not been repealed or amended, except:
1. 
That all such proceedings shall be conducted according to existing procedural laws; and
2. 
That if the penalty or punishment for any offense is reduced or lessened by any alteration of the law creating the offense prior to original sentencing, the penalty or punishment shall be assessed according to the amendatory law.
The repeal of any law does not affect any act done or right accrued or established in any proceeding, suit or prosecution had or commenced in any civil case previous to the time when the repeal takes effect; but every such act, right and proceeding remains as valid and effectual as if the provisions so repealed had remained in force.
No action or plea pending at the time any statutory provisions are repealed shall be affected by the repeal; but the same shall proceed, in all respects, as if the statutory provisions had not been repealed, except that all proceedings had after the repeal becomes effective are governed by procedural rules and laws then in effect, insofar as they are applicable.
[CC 1989 §1-8]
The Sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this Code are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or Section of this Code shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid by the valid judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and Sections of this Code.
[CC 1989 §1-10]
All printed copies of this Code, except such as shall be reserved by the City Attorney for use by the Legal Department, shall be deposited with the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall deliver one (1) copy to the Mayor, one (1) copy to each Alderman and one (1) copy to each department head and to such other persons as the Board of Aldermen may by resolution direct. The City Clerk shall sell copies of the printed Code at such price as the Board of Aldermen shall fix.
[CC 1989 §1-11]
A. 
The City Clerk shall keep three (3) copies of this Code. These copies shall be printed or otherwise mounted to withstand heavy usage and preserved by the City Clerk in a book or binder in looseleaf form, or in such other form as the Board of Aldermen may consider most expedient, so that all amendments thereto and all general ordinances hereafter passed may be inserted in their appropriate places in such volume, and all Sections of this Code or ordinances repealed from time to time may be extracted therefrom for the purpose of maintaining said three (3) copies in such condition that they will show all general ordinances passed up to date at any time in such manner that ready reference may be had thereto.
B. 
In determining whether or not any ordinance hereafter passed, or any part thereof, shall be inserted in such volume, and in determining the form, Chapter, Article, or Section which shall be taken out, if any doubt arises, the City Clerk shall be guided by the advice of the City Attorney.
[CC 1989 §1-12]
Any copy of this Code or any copy of any addition, amendment or supplement thereto adopted, published and certified according to law shall be received in evidence in court for the purpose of proving the ordinances therein contained with like effect and for the same purpose as the original ordinances would be received.
[CC 1989 §1-13]
It shall be unlawful for any person in the City to change or amend by additions or deletions any part or portion of this Code, or to insert or delete pages, or portions thereof, or to alter or tamper with such Code in any manner whatsoever which will cause the law of the City of Town and Country to be misrepresented thereby. Any person, firm or corporation violating this Section shall be punished as provided in Section 100.150 hereof.