[Code 1971, § 1-1]
The ordinances embraced in this part III shall constitute and
be designated the "Code of Ordinances of the City of Olean, New York,"
and may be so cited.
[Code 1971, § 1-3]
As used in all ordinances unless the context requires otherwise:
GENERALLY
Provisions shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes
expressed therein or implied from the expression thereof. In case
of doubt or ambiguity in the meaning of such provisions, the general
shall yield to the particular. Reference for interpretation and construction
shall tend to further the accomplishment of the elimination of the
particular mischiefs for which the provisions were enacted.
AFFIDAVIT
When an affidavit is authorized or required, it may be sworn
to before any officer authorized by law to take the acknowledgment
of deeds in this state unless a particular officer is specified before
whom it is to be taken.
ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES
The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard,
including all components of such forces, and the National Guard when
in the service of the United States pursuant to call as provided by
law. Pursuant to this definition, no person shall be considered a
member or veteran of the armed forces of the United States unless
service in an armed force is or was on a full-time active duty basis
other than active duty for training.
BOND AND UNDERTAKING
A provision authorizing or requiring a bond to be given shall
be deemed to have been complied with by the execution of an undertaking
to the same effect.
CALENDAR DAY
A calendar day includes the time from midnight to midnight.
Sunday or any day of the week specifically mentioned means a calendar
day.
CHARTER
The Charter of the City of Olean, New York.
CHATTELS
Includes goods and chattels. Where "chattels" appears and
pertains to an action to recover the same, it includes all specific
personal property such as, but not limited to, certificates of stock,
bonds, notes or other securities or obligations.
CITY
The City of Olean, New York.
CODE
The Code of Ordinances of the City of Olean, New York, as established and designated in section
1-1.
COMPUTATION OF DAYS
A number of days specified as a period from a certain day
within which or after which or before which an act is authorized or
required to be done means the number of calendar days exclusive of
the calendar day from which the reckoning is made. If the period is
a period of two days, Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday must be
excluded from the reckoning if it is an intervening day between the
day from which the reckoning is made and the last day of the period.
In computing any specified period of time from a specified event,
the day upon which the event happens is deemed the day from which
the reckoning is made. The day from which any specified period of
time is reckoned shall be excluded in making the reckoning.
COMPUTATION OF MONTHS
A number of months after or before a certain day shall be
computed by counting such number of calendar months from such day,
exclusive of the calendar month in which the day occurs, and shall
include the day of the month in the last month so counted having the
same numerical order in days of the month as the day from which the
computation is made, unless there are not so many days in the last
month so counted, in which case the period computed shall expire with
the last day of the month so counted.
CONFLICTING OR OVERLAPPING PROVISIONS
Ordinances are the minimum requirements adopted for the promotion
of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare.
Where an ordinance imposes greater restrictions upon the subject matter
than the other provisions the provision imposing the greater restriction
or regulation controls. Ordinances prevail over resolutions.
COUNTY
Cattaraugus County, New York.
DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
A provision that requires a city officer or city employee
to do an act authorizes the officer or employee to delegate and authorize
subordinates to perform the required act.
EFFECT OF HOLIDAYS
When any period of time, computed from a certain day, within
which or after which or before which an act is authorized or required
to be done ends on a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, the act
may be done on the next succeeding business day, and, if the period
ends at a specified hour, the act may be done at or before the same
hour of the next succeeding business day. Where time is extended by
virtue of the provisions of this paragraph, the extended time shall
not be included in the computation of interest, except that when the
period is specified as a number of months, the extended time shall
be included in the computation of interest.
GENDER
Whenever words of the masculine or feminine gender appear,
unless the sense of the sentence requires otherwise, they shall be
deemed to refer to both male or female persons. This construction
shall apply to gender-indicative suffixes or prefixes as well as to
gender-indicative words. Whenever the reference is to a corporation,
board, body, group, organization or entity comprising more than one
person or to an assemblage of persons or to an inanimate object, the
reference shall be construed to be neuter in gender.
KEEPER OR PROPRIETOR
Includes persons, whether acting by themselves or through
servants, agents or employees.
MAY
Is to be construed as permissive.
MAYOR
The mayor of the city.
MUNICIPAL OFFICERS
A reference to several officers of the city holding the same
office or to a board of such officers shall refer to the single officer
holding the office, when but one person is chosen to fill the office
in pursuance of law.
MUST
Is to be construed as mandatory.
NEWSPAPERS
"Daily newspaper" or "newspaper published each business day"
means a newspaper customarily published on each business day of the
year, whether or not the newspaper is published on any other day.
In this paragraph "business day" does not include a Saturday, Sunday
or legal holiday.
NIGHTTIME
Includes the time from sunset to sunrise.
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.
NOTICE
When a notice is required to be given to a board or body,
service of the notice upon the clerk or chairperson of the board or
body is sufficient.
NOW
In any provision referring to other ordinances or local laws
in force or to a person in office or to any facts or circumstances
as existing, relates to the local laws or ordinances in force or to
the person in office or to the facts or circumstances existing, respectively,
immediately before the taking effect of the provision.
NUMBER
Words in the singular number include the plural and in the
plural number include the singular.
OATH, AFFIDAVIT, AND SWEAR
Includes every mode authorized by law of attesting the truth
of that which is stated. "Swear" includes every mode authorized by
law for administering an oath.
OR, AND
May be read "and," and "and" may be read "or" if the sense
requires it.
OWNER
As 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 the building
or land.
PERSON
Includes a corporation and a joint-stock association. When
used to designate a party whose property may be the subject of any
offense, "person" includes the state or any other state, government,
or country which may lawfully own property in the state.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Includes chattels, money, things in action, and all written
instruments themselves, as distinguished from the rights or interests
to which they relate, by which any right, interest, lien or incumbrance
in, to or upon property or any debt or financial obligation is created,
acknowledged, evidenced, transferred, discharged or defeated, wholly
or in part, and everything, except real property, which may be the
subject of ownership. Oil wells and all fixtures connected with oil
wells, situated on lands leased for oil purposes and oil interests,
and rights held under and by virtue of any lease or contract or other
right or license to operate for or produce petroleum oil, are deemed
personal property for all purposes except taxation.
PROPERTY
Includes real property and personal property.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS DESIGNATED
Includes the following days in each year: January 1, known
as New Year's Day; the third Monday in January known as Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., Day; February 12, known as Lincoln's Birthday;
the third Monday in February, known as Washington's Birthday;
the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day; the second Sunday in
June, known as Flag Day; July 4, known as Independence Day; the first
Monday in September known as Labor Day; the second Monday in October,
known as Columbus Day; November 11, known as Veterans Day; the fourth
Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving Day; and December 25,
known as Christmas Day and, if any of such day except Flag Day is
Sunday, the next day thereafter, and each general election day and
each day appointed by the president of the United States or by the
governor of this state as a day of general thanksgiving, general fasting
and prayer or other general religious observances. "Half-holiday"
includes the period from noon to midnight of each Saturday which is
not a public holiday.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any park, cemetery, schoolyard or open space adjacent thereto,
and all beaches, canals and other waterways.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, ETC.
The terms "public works department" and "department of public
works" are synonymous. The terms "public works director," "director
of public works" and "director of the department of public works"
are synonymous.
QUORUM AND MAJORITY
Whenever three or more public officers are given any power
or authority or three or more persons are charged with any public
duty to be performed or exercised by them jointly or as a board or
similar body, a majority of the whole number of such persons or officers,
at a meeting duly held at a time fixed by law or by any bylaw duly
adopted by the board or body or at any duly adjourned meeting of the
board or body or at any meeting duly held upon reasonable notice to
all of them shall constitute a quorum. Not less than a majority of
the whole number may perform and exercise such power, authority, or
duty. In this paragraph "whole number" means the total number which
the board, commission, body, or other group of persons or officers
would have were there no vacancies and none of the persons disqualified
from acting. Any meeting referred to in this paragraph may be adjourned
by a less number than a quorum.
REAL PROPERTY
Includes real estate, lands, tenements and hereditaments,
corporeal and incorporeal.
REFERENCES TO REPEALED PROVISIONS
If any legislation is repealed and, in substance, reenacted,
a reference to the repealed provision shall be deemed a reference
to the reenacted provision.
RESIDENCE
The place adopted by a person as the person's place
of habitation, and to which, whenever the person is absent, the person
has the intention of returning. When a person eats at one place and
sleeps at another, the place where the person sleeps is the person's
residence.
SEAL
The city or corporate seal.
SHALL
Is to be construed as mandatory.
SIDEWALK
Any portion of a street between the curbline and the adjacent
property line intended for the use of pedestrians. "Sidewalk" does
not include a parkway.
SIGNATURE
Includes any memorandum, mark or sign written, printed, stamped,
photographed, engraved or otherwise placed upon any instrument or
writing with intent to execute or authenticate the instrument or writing.
STATE
The State of New York.
STREET
Includes any street, avenue, boulevard, road, alley, lane,
viaduct or other public highway in the city.
SUBWAY
That area of a city street lying between the vehicular traffic
lane and the dedicated street limit.
TENANT, OCCUPANT
As applied to a building or land, includes any person holding
a written or oral lease or who occupies the whole or a part of the
building or land, either alone or with others.
TENSE
Words used in the past or present tense include the future
as well as the past and present.
WRITING AND WRITTEN
Includes every legible representation of letters upon a material
substance, except when applied to the signature of an instrument.
YEAR
365 days, but the added day of a leap year and the day immediately
preceding shall, for the purpose of such computation, be counted as
one day. "Year" means 12 months. "Half year" means six months. "Quarter
of a year" means three months.
[Code 1971, § 1-6]
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 to be misrepresented thereby.
[Code 1971, § 1-8]
In all cases where the same offense may be made punishable,
or shall be created by different clauses or sections of this Code,
the prosecuting officer may elect under which to proceed; but not
more than one recovery shall be had against the same person for the
same offense.
[Code 1971, § 1-10]
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 by the
valid judgment or decree of the court of competent jurisdiction, such
unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases,
clauses, sentences, paragraphs, and sections of this Code.
The provisions appearing in this Code, so far as they are the
same as legislation existing at the time of the adoption of this Code,
shall be considered as a continuation of this part of the Code and
not as new enactments.
Nothing in this Code or the legislation adopting this Code shall
affect legislation:
(1) Promising or guaranteeing the payment of money by or to the city,
authorizing the issuance of any bonds of the city or any evidence
of the city's indebtedness, or any contract or obligation assumed
by the city;
(2) Appropriating funds or establishing or relating to the annual budget;
(3) Imposing taxes which are not inconsistent with this Code;
(4) Establishing positions, classifying employees, or setting salaries
not codified in this Code;
(5) Dedicating, naming, establishing, locating, relocating, opening,
paving, widening, or vacating any street or public way;
(6) Establishing or prescribing street grades;
(7) Providing for local improvements and assessing taxes therefor;
(8) Which rezones specific property;
(9) Dedicating, accepting, or rejecting any plat or subdivision;
(10) Annexing or deannexing property;
(11) Whose purpose has been accomplished;
(12) Which is special although permanent in effect;
(13) Which is temporary although general in effect.