[Adopted as Ch. 1, § 1-3, of the
1977 Code]
A.
CITY
CITY COUNCIL or COUNCIL
CODE or THIS CODE
COMMONWEALTH
GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION
MONTH
OATH
OWNER
PERSON
PUBLIC GROUNDS OR SQUARES
STREET
TENANT or OCCUPANT
WAY
WRITING or IN WRITING
YEAR
As used in the Code, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
The City of Northampton, in the County of Hampshire, and
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The duty elected City Council of the City of Northampton.
The Code of Ordinances, City of Northampton, Massachusetts.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Includes a person's actual or perceived gender, as well as
a person's gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related
appearance, or gender-related expression whether or not that gender
identity, gender-related self image, gender-related appearance, or
gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated
with a person's sex at birth.
[Added 12-15-2005]
A calendar month.
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."
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, or trustee of the whole or of a part of such building
or land.
Associations, firms, partnerships, trusts and bodies politic
and corporate as well as individuals.
Includes commons and all public lands and those parts of
public places which do not form traveled parts of highways.
Includes public ways, streets, avenues, boulevards, roads,
alleys, lanes, courts, viaducts, public squares, and all other public
highways in the City.
Applied to a building or land, includes any person holding
a written or oral lease of or occupying the whole or a part of such
building or land, either alone or with others.
Any public highway, private way laid out under authority
of statute, or way dedicated to public use.
Includes any representation of words, letters or figures,
whether by printing or otherwise.
The calendar year.
B.
In the construction of this Code of Ordinances and
of all other ordinances, the following rules of construction shall
be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the
manifest intent of the City Council or the context of the Code or
ordinance:
(1)
Computation of time. The time in which an act is to
be done shall be computed by excluding the first and including the
last day, and if the last day be Sunday or a legal holiday, that shall
be excluded. Otherwise Sunday shall be included.
(2)
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.
(3)
Licensing power. When in a provision anything is prohibited
from being done without the license or permission of a certain officer,
officers or board, such officer, officers or board shall have the
power to license or permit such things to be done.
(4)
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.
(5)
Officers, boards, departments, etc. Whenever any officer,
board, department or other agency is referred to by title, such reference
shall be construed as if followed by the words "of the City of Northampton,
Massachusetts," unless indicated to the contrary.
(6)
Preceding; following. The words "preceding" and "following"
mean next before and next after, respectively.
(7)
Signature. If the written signature of a person is
required, it shall always be his own handwriting or, if he is unable
to write, his mark.
(8)
Statute references. Whenever reference is made to
MGL c. ______, § _____, this shall mean Massachusetts General
Laws.
[Amended 2-1-2007]
(9)
Tense. Words used in the past or present tense include
the future as well as the past and present.
