[Adopted as Title 1, Ch. 1.04, of the 1986 Code]
In the construction of the revised ordinances, and of all other ordinances of the City, the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Council:
A. 
"City" shall be construed as if the words "of Springfield" followed.
B. 
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.
C. 
"Council" means the City Council.
D. 
"County" means the County of Hampden, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
E. 
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.
F. 
"Law" denotes applicable federal law, the Constitution, statutes and regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the ordinances of the City of Springfield and, when appropriate, any and all rules and regulations which may be promulgated thereunder.
G. 
"May" is permissive.
H. 
"Month" means a calendar month.
I. 
"Must" and "shall" are each mandatory.
J. 
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.
K. 
"Oath" includes an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in such case the words "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the words "affirm" and "affirmed."
L. 
"Or" may be read "and," and "and" may be read "or," if the sense requires it.
M. 
"Owner," as applied to a building or land, includes any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common, joint tenant or tenant by the entirety of the whole or of a part of such building or land.
N. 
"Person" extends and is applied to associations, firms, partnerships and bodies politic and corporate as well as to individuals.
O. 
"Personal property" includes money, goods, chattels, things in action and evidences of debt.
P. 
"Preceding" and "following" mean next before and the next after, respectively.
Q. 
"Property" includes real and personal property.
R. 
"Real property" includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
S. 
"Sidewalk" means that portion of a street between the curbline and the adjacent property line improved for the use of pedestrians.
T. 
"Street" is construed to embrace streets, avenues, boulevards, roads, alleys, lanes, viaducts and all other public highways in the City.
U. 
"Tenant" or "occupant," applied to a building or land, includes any person holding a written or oral lease or who occupies the whole or part of such building or land, either alone or with others.
V. 
Time. Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
W. 
"Written" or "in writing" includes any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.
The catchlines of the several sections of the revised ordinances printed in boldface type are intended as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the section and shall not be deemed or taken to be titles of such sections, nor as any part of the section nor, unless expressly so provided, shall they be so deemed when any of such sections, including the catchlines, are amended or reenacted.