It is the legislative intent of the Township Board, in adopting
the Code, that all provisions and sections of the Code be liberally
construed to protect and preserve the peace, health, safety and welfare
of the inhabitants of the Township. In the construction of this Code
and any amendment thereto, the following rules shall be observed,
unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
CODE
The term "this Code" or "Code" shall mean the Code of the
Charter Township of Watervliet, Michigan.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. III)]
COMPUTATION OF TIME
The time within which an act is to be done, as provided in
this Code or in any order issued pursuant to this Code, when expressed
in days, shall be computed by excluding the first day and including
the last, except that if the last day is Sunday or a legal holiday
it shall be excluded; and when the time is expressed in hours, the
whole of a Sunday or a legal holiday, from 12:00 midnight to 12:00
midnight, shall be excluded.
COUNTY
The term "the county" or "this county" shall mean the County
of Berrien in the State of Michigan.
GENDER
A word importing the masculine gender only shall extend and
be applied to females and to firms, partnerships, corporations, units
of government, trusts, estates, joint ventures and other legal entities,
as well as to males.
MCLA
The abbreviation "MCLA" refers to the Michigan Compiled Laws
Annotated, as amended.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. III)]
MONTH
The term "month" shall be construed to mean a calendar month.
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.
OATH, AFFIRMATION, SWORN, AFFIRMED
The term "oath" shall be construed to include the term "affirmation"
in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an
oath; and, in like cases, the term "sworn" shall be construed to include
the term "affirmed."
OFFICER, DEPARTMENT, or OTHER AGENCY
Whenever any officer, department or other agency is referred
to by title only, such reference shall be construed as if followed
by the words "of the Charter Township of Watervliet, Michigan." Whenever
by the provisions of this Code any officer of the Township is assigned
any duty or empowered to perform any act or duty, reference to such
officer shall mean and include such officer or his deputy or authorized
subordinate. Whenever in accordance with the provisions of this Code
or any ordinance of the Township, any specific act is required to
be done by any designated officer or official of the Township, such
act may be performed by any Township employee duly authorized to perform
that act by such officer or official.
OR; AND
"Or" may be read "and," and "and" may be read "or" if the
sense requires it.
PERSON
The term "person" includes firms, joint ventures, partnerships,
corporations, estates, trusts, units of government, clubs and all
associations or organizations of natural persons, either incorporated
or unincorporated, howsoever operating or named, and whether acting
by themselves or by a servant, agent or fiduciary, and includes all
legal representatives, heirs, successors and assigns thereof.
PUBLIC ACTS
References to "Public Acts" are references to the Public
Acts of Michigan. (For example, a reference to Public Act No. 279
of 1909 is a reference to Act No. 279 of the Public Acts of Michigan
of 1909.) Any reference to a "Public Act," whether by Act number or
by short title, is a reference to the Act as amended.
SHALL; MAY
The term "shall" is mandatory, and the term "may" is permissive.
STATE
The term "the state" or "this state" shall be construed to
mean the State of Michigan.
TENSE
Words used in the present or past tense include the future
as well as the present and past.
TOWNSHIP
The term "Township" shall mean the Charter Township of Watervliet,
Michigan, in Berrien County, Michigan.
TOWNSHIP BOARD or BOARD
The term "Township Board" or "Board" shall mean the Township
Board of the Charter Township of Watervliet, Michigan.
WEEK
The term "week" shall be construed to mean seven days.
WRITTEN or IN WRITING
The term "written" or "in writing" may include any form of
reproduction or expression of language.
YEAR
The term "year" shall be construed to mean a calendar year.
No officer, agent, employee or member of the Township Board
shall render himself personally liable for any damage that may accrue
to any person as a result of any act, decision or other consequence
or occurrence arising out of the discharge of his duties or responsibilities
pursuant to this Code.
All fees and charges imposed by any section of this Code shall
be as prescribed by resolution of the Township Board adopted from
time to time. Copies of such resolution shall be on file in the office
of the Township Clerk.