[Adopted 6-11-1974 as Ch. 1, § 1-2, of the 1974 Code]
As used in this Code, the following words shall have the meanings indicated:
CORPORATE LIMITS, CORPORATION LIMITS or TOWN LIMITS
The legal boundary of the Town of Guilderland.
COUNTY
The County of Albany in the State of New York.
KEEPER or PROPRIETOR
Includes persons, firms, associations, corporations, clubs and partnerships, whether acting by themselves or through a servant, agent or employee.
MONTH
A calendar month.
OATH
Includes 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."
OWNER
Applied to a building or land, includes 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
Shall extend and be applied to associations, clubs, societies, firms, partnerships and bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Includes every species of property except real property, as herein described.
PRECEDING and FOLLOWING
Next before and next after, respectively.
PREMISES
Place or places.
PROPERTY
Includes real and personal property.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any park, cemetery, schoolyard or open space adjacent thereto, all public buildings, streets and parking fields, and all waterways.
REAL PROPERTY
Includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
RESIDENCE
The place adopted by a person as his place of habitation, and to which, whenever he is absent, he has the intention of returning. When a person eats at one place and sleeps at another, the place where such person sleeps shall be deemed his residence.
SEAL
The Town Seal.
SIDEWALK
Any portion of a street between the curbline and the adjacent property line, intended for the use of pedestrians, excluding parkways.
SIGNATURE or SUBSCRIPTION
Includes a mark when the person cannot write.
STATE
The State of New York.
STREET
Streets, avenues, boulevards, roads, alleys, lanes, viaducts and all other public highways in the town.
SUPERVISOR
The Supervisor of the Town of Guilderland.
TENANT or OCCUPANT
Applied to a building or land, includes any person holding a written or oral lease or who occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, either alone or with others.
TOWN BOARD
The Town Board of the Town of Guilderland.
WEEK
Seven days.
WRITTEN or IN WRITING
Any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.
YEAR
A calendar year.
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 Town Board:
A. 
Word usage.
(1) 
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.
(2) 
Joint authority. All words giving a joint authority to three or more persons or officers shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such persons or officers.
(3) 
Name of officer. Whenever the name of an officer is given, it shall be construed as though the words "of the Town of Guilderland" were added.
(4) 
Nontechnical and technical words. Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language; but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.
(5) 
Number. A word importing the singular number only may extend and be applied to several persons and things, as well as to one person and thing.
(6) 
"Or" may be read "and," and "and" may be read "or," if the sense requires it.
(7) 
Tense. Words used in the past or present tense include the future, as well as the past and present.
(8) 
Whenever the words "the town" or "this town" are used, they shall be construed as if the words "of Guilderland, New York," followed them.
B. 
Construction of provisions.
(1) 
Computation of time. Whenever a notice is required to be given or an act to be done, a certain length of time before any proceeding shall be had; the day on which such notice is given or such act is done shall be counted in computing the time, but the day on which such proceeding is to be had shall not be counted.
(2) 
Delegation of authority. Whenever a provision appears requiring the head of a department, division or agency of the town government to do some act or make certain inspections, it is to be construed to authorize that person to designate, delegate and authorize subordinates to perform the required act or make the required inspection, unless the terms of the provision or section specifically designate otherwise.
(3) 
Interpretation. In the interpretation and application of any provision of this Code, it shall be held to be the minimum requirements 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 the general provisions imposed by the Code, the provision imposing the greater restriction or regulation shall be deemed to be controlling.