General Rule. All general provisions, terms, phrases and
expressions contained in this Code shall be liberally construed in
order that the true intent and meaning of the City Council may be
fully carried out. Words and phrases shall be taken in their plain,
or ordinary or usual sense, but technical words and phrases having
a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be understood according
to their technical import.
AGENTS, ACTS OF
Whenever any provision of this Code or other ordinance or
resolution of the City Council requires an act to be done which, by
law, an agent or deputy as well may do as the principal, such requirement
shall be satisfied by the performance of such act by an authorized
agent or deputy.
AND; OR
The word "and" shall be construed to include
the alternative word "or" where the context makes
such construction appropriate, and vice versa.
CERTIFIED MAIL OR CERTIFIED MAIL WITH RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Includes certified mail carried by the United States Postal
Service or any parcel or letter carried by an overnight, express or
ground delivery service that allows a sender or recipient to electronically
track its location and provides a record of the signature of the recipient.
CITY
The term "the City" or "this City" shall mean the City of Monett, Missouri.
COMMISSIONER
When used in this Code shall have the same meaning as Councilperson
and the terms shall be interchangeable.
COMPUTATION OF TIME
The time within which an act is to be done shall be computed
by excluding the first (1st) and including the last day; and if the
last day is Sunday or a legal holiday, that day shall be excluded.
COUNTY
The words "the County" or "this
County" shall mean Barry or Lawrence County, Missouri, or
both, as the context requires.
GENDER
When any subject matter, party or person is described or
referred to by words importing the masculine gender, females as well
as males, and associations and bodies corporate as well as individuals,
shall be deemed to be included.
GOVERNOR
Shall mean the Governor of the State of Missouri.
JOINT AUTHORITY
Words importing joint authority to three (3) or more persons
shall be construed as giving authority to a majority of such persons,
unless otherwise declared in this Code or other ordinance giving such
authority.
MAY; SHALL
The word "may" is permissive; the word "shall" is mandatory.
MAYOR
Shall mean the Mayor of Monett, Missouri.
MONTH
Shall mean a calendar month.
NUMBER
When any subject matter, party or person is described or
referred to by words importing the singular number, the plural and
separate matters and persons and bodies corporate shall be deemed
to be included; and when words importing the plural number are used
in describing or referring to any matter, parties or persons, any
single matter, party or person shall be deemed to be included, although
distributive words may not be used.
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".
OFFICIAL TIME STANDARD
Whenever certain hours are named in this Code, they shall
mean standard time or daylight saving time as may be in current use
in the City.
OWNER
Applied to all property, shall include any part owner, joint
owner, tenant in common, joint tenant or tenant by the entirety, of
the whole or a part of such property.
PERSON
May extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate,
and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Includes money, goods, chattels, things in action and evidences
of debt.
PRECEDING; FOLLOWING
When used by way of reference to any Section of this Code
or other ordinance, shall be construed to mean the Section next preceding
or following that in which reference is made, unless when some other
Section is expressly designated in such reference.
PROPERTY
Includes real and personal property.
REAL PROPERTY
The words "real property", "premises", "real estate" or "lands" shall be deemed to be coextensive with
lands, tenements and hereditaments.
SIDEWALK
Shall mean that portion of the street between the curb line
and the adjacent property line which is intended for the use of pedestrians.
SIGNATURE
Where the written signature of any person is required, the
proper handwriting of such person or his/her mark shall be intended;
provided, that "signature" may also include a facsimile of a person's
proper handwriting where authorized.
STATE
The words "the State" or "this State" shall mean the State of Missouri.
STREET
Shall mean and include any public way, highway, street, avenue,
boulevard, parkway, alley or other public thoroughfare, and each of
such words shall include all of them.
TENANT; OCCUPANT
Applied to a building or land, shall include any person who
occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, whether alone
or with others.
TIME
Words used in the past or present tense include the future,
as well as the past and present.
WRITTEN, IN WRITING AND WRITING WORD FOR WORD
Includes printing, lithographing, or other mode of representing
words and letters, but in all cases where the signature of any person
is required, the proper handwriting of the person, or his/her mark,
is intended.
YEAR
Shall mean a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed, and
the word "year" shall be equivalent to the words "year of our Lord".