In the construction of this Code, and of all ordinances, the following rules shall be observed, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Appropriation"means a unit of funding provided for by the assembly in the municipal budget. An appropriation may be specific as to particular expenditures or general as to an entire department or agency, as the assembly deems appropriate.
"AS."The abbreviation "AS" means the latest edition or supplement of that section in the Alaska Statutes.
"Assembly"means the assembly for the Municipality of Anchorage.
"Bulletin board"means the bulletin board in the city hall or the municipal clerk's office.
"Categories,"when used in reference to expenditures, means actual proposed expenditures to be made from an appropriation.
"Charter"means and refers to the Charter of the Municipality of Anchorage as printed in Part I of this volume.
"Code"means the Anchorage Municipal Code.
"Computation of time."In computing any period of time prescribed or allowed by this Code, the day of the act or event from which the period of time begins to run is not included. The last day of the period is included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday or municipal holiday, in which event the period runs until the end of the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or municipal holiday. When the period of time prescribed or allowed is less than seven days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and municipal holidays are excluded in computing the period.
"Emergency"means an unforeseen occurrence or condition which results or apparently will result in an insufficiency of services or facilities substantial enough to endanger the public health, safety or welfare.
"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.
"Initiative,"except where context suggests a different meaning, means the process of enacting a measure by vote of the people without assembly action.
"Law"means the Charter, the ordinances and resolutions preserved by the Charter, or enacted pursuant to it, and those portions of the statutes of the state and the constitutions of the state and of the United States which are valid limitations on the exercise of legislative power by home rule governments.
"Mayor"means the mayor of Anchorage.
"Measure"means an ordinance, resolution, or Charter amendment.
"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"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."
"Or; and."The word "or" may be read "and," and the word "and" may be read "or," if the sense requires it.
"Owner,"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 such building or land.
"Person"shall extend and be applied to associations, clubs, societies, firms, partnerships, and bodies politic and corporate as well as to individuals or groups of individuals.
"Postmark"means the postmark impression or label placed upon an article of mail by the U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service which generally indicates the place or zip code of origin and date of mailing.
"Publish"means to cause to be posted on a municipal website designated for public notices the matter required by law to be published. Unless otherwise provided in this Code, posting shall be maintained for seven consecutive days. The assembly may provide for additional modes of dissemination. In the event of unforeseen technical difficulties which render website publication temporarily unavailable and substantially ineffective for its intended purpose, publication may be accomplished by publication in a newspaper of general circulation for at least one day within the specified period, but does not waive the requirement to restore the website posting as soon as practicable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, website posting does not constitute effective publication unless accomplished by 5:00 p.m. on the first day posting is required.
"Real property"includes lands, tenements and hereditaments of all kinds, together with all right to and interests in the land, tenements and hereditaments, and further includes buildings, structures, improvements and fixtures upon or affixed to land.
"Referendum,"except where context suggests a different meaning, means the process of repealing an ordinance or resolution by vote of the people without assembly action.
"Resident"means a person whose habitual physical dwelling place is within the area in question and who intends to maintain his or her dwelling place in that area.
"Tense."Words in the present tense include the past and future tense, and words in the future tense include the present tense.
"Utility" and "municipal utility"mean a utility which belonged to a former government and whose rates are subject to regulation by the state public utilities commission on the date the Charter became effective, September 16, 1975.
(CAC 1.04.020; GAAB 7.05.010; AO No. 85-75; AO No. 91-167; AO No. 2009-134, § 1, 1-12-2010; AO No. 2017-41, § 9, 3-21-2017)