[Adopted as indicated in section histories]
[NRO 1975, T. 1, § 1; amended 2-26-2008 by Ord. No.
O-08-07; 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
The ordinances embraced in the following chapters
and sections shall constitute and be designated the Nashua Revised
Ordinances (NRO) and may be so cited or may be cited "the Code."
[Amended 12-26-1995 by Ord. No. O-95-148]
A.
In the construction of the Code, and of all ordinances,
the rules and definitions set out in this section shall be observed,
unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent
of the Board of Aldermen. The rules of construction and definitions
set out herein shall not be applied to any section of the Code which
shall contain any express provision excluding such construction, or
where the subject matter or context of such section may be repugnant
thereto.
B.
Any reference in the text of the Code to a section,
article or chapter shall, unless otherwise indicated, be construed
to refer to a section, article or chapter, as amended, of the Code.
C.
Generally.
(1)
All general provisions, terms, phrases and expressions
contained in the Code shall be liberally construed in order that the
true intent and meaning of the Board of Aldermen may be fully carried
out.
(2)
In the interpretation and application of any provision
of the Code, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements adopted
for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience
and general welfare. Where any provision of the Code imposes greater
restrictions upon the subject matter than the general provisions imposed
by the Code, the provision imposing the greater restriction or regulation
shall be deemed to be controlling.
(3)
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
peculiar and appropriate meaning.
D.
In the constitution of the Code, as it now stands
and as it may in the future be amended, the rules set forth in RSA
Chapter 21, exclusive of § 42 thereof (Effective dates),
shall be observed, insofar as they may be applicable, unless such
construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the
Board of Aldermen or repugnant to the context of the provision being
construed.
(1)
APPROPRIATE ALDERMANIC COMMITTEE
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
CITY
CORPORATE or CITY LIMITS
COUNTY or THIS COUNTY
MAYOR
MONTH
OATH
OWNER
PERSON
PERSONAL PROPERTY
PROPERTY
REAL PROPERTY, LANDS AND REAL ESTATE
REGISTERED MAIL
SIDEWALK
SIGNATURE or SUBSCRIPTION
STREET
TENANT or OCCUPANT
WRITTEN or IN WRITING
YEAR
Definitions. As used in this article, the following
terms shall have the meanings indicated:
That standing committee of the Board of Aldermen which would naturally deal with the matter addressed, pursuant to the duties of the standing committees of the Board of Aldermen as described in § 5-9 of the Code.
The Board of Aldermen of the City of Nashua.
The City of Nashua, New Hampshire.
The legal boundaries of the City of Nashua.
The County of Hillsborough in the State of New Hampshire.
The Mayor of the City.
A calendar month.
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."
Applied to a building or land, includes any part owner, joint
owner, tenant in common, tenant in partnership or joint tenant of
the whole or part of such building or land.
Extends and is applied to associations, clubs, societies,
firms, partnerships and bodies politic and corporate as well as to
individuals.
Includes every species of property except real property,
as herein described.
Includes real and personal property.
Includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights
thereto and interests therein.
When used in connection with the requirement for notice by
mail, either registered mail or certified mail.
Any portion of a street between the curbline and the adjacent
property line, intended for the use of pedestrians, excluding parkways.
Includes a mark when the person cannot write.
Construed to embrace streets, avenues, boulevards, roads,
alleys, lanes, viaducts and all other public ways in the City, and
shall include all areas thereof embraced between the property lines
and dedicated to the public use.
Applied to a building or land, includes any person holding
a written or oral lease or who occupies the whole or a part of such
buildings or land, either alone or with others.
Includes printing or any other mode of representing words
and letters, except where the written signature of a person is required.
A calendar year, unless otherwise expressed, and the word
"year" shall be equivalent to "year of our Lord."
E.
Word usage.
(1)
Computation of time. When time is to be reckoned from
a day, date, act done, or the time of an act done, either by force
of law, or by virtue of a contract made since December 23, 1842, such
day, date, or the day when such act is done shall not be included
in the computation.
(2)
Delegation of authority. Whenever a provision appears
requiring the head of a department or some other City officer to do
some act or perform some duty, it is to be construed to authorize
the head of the department or other officer to designate, delegate
and authorize subordinates to perform the required act or perform
the duty unless the terms of the provisions or section specify otherwise.
(3)
Gender. A word importing the masculine gender only
shall extend and be applied to females and to firms, partnerships,
and corporations well as to males.
(4)
Joint authority. All words purporting to give a joint
authority to three or more persons or officers shall be construed
as giving such authority to a majority of such persons or officers,
unless otherwise expressly declared.
(5)
Number. Words importing the singular number may extend
and be applied to several persons or things; words importing the plural
number may include the singular.
(6)
Officers, boards, commissions, etc. Whenever any officer,
board, commission or any other agency of the City is referred to by
title, such reference shall be construed as if followed by the words
"of the City of New Hampshire," unless indicated to the contrary.
(7)
Or; and. "Or" may be used to read "and", and "and"
may be read "or" if the sense requires it.
(8)
Preceding; following. The words "preceding" and "following"
mean next before and next after, respectively.
(9)
Said; such. The words "said" and "such" when used
by way of reference to any person or thing, shall apply to the same
person or thing last mentioned.
(10)
Shall; may. The word "shall" is mandatory; "may" is
permissive.
(11)
State. The words "state," "the state" or "this state"
shall be construed to mean the State of New Hampshire.
(12)
Tense. Words used in the past or present tense include
the future as well as the past and present.
(13)
Wholesale, wholesaler, etc. In all cases where the
words "wholesale," "wholesaler," or "wholesale dealer" are used in
the Code, unless otherwise specifically defined, they shall be understood
and held to relate to the sale of goods, merchandise, articles or
things in quantity to persons who purchase for purposes of resale,
as distinguished from a retail dealer who sells in smaller quantities
direct to the consumer.
Part, chapter, and article headings, and notes
and references are included in this Code for the convenience of users,
and are not to be construed as part of the text to which they relate.
The catchlines of the several sections of the Code 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.
All ordinances passed subsequent to the Code
which amend, repeal or in any way affect the Code may be numbered
in accordance with the numbering system of the Code and printed for
inclusion herein, or in the case of repealed chapters, sections and
subsections or any part thereof, by subsequent ordinances, such repealed
portions may be excluded from the Code by omission from reprinted
pages affected thereby and the subsequent ordinances as numbered printed
or omitted, in the case of repeal, shall be prima facie evidence of
such subsequent ordinances until such time as the Code and subsequent
ordinances numbered or omitted are readopted as a new revision by
the Board of Aldermen.
It shall be unlawful for any person in the City
to change or amend, by additions or deletions, any part or portions
of the 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.
A.
When any ordinance repealing a former ordinance, clause
or provision shall be itself repealed, such repeal shall not be construed
to revive such former ordinance, clause or provision unless it shall
be therein so expressly provided.
B.
The repeal of an ordinance shall not affect any punishment
or penalty incurred before the repeal took affect, nor any suit, prosecution
or proceeding pending at the time of the repeal, for an offense committed
or cause of action arising under the ordinance repealed.
[NRO 1975, T. 1, § 8; amended 2-26-2008 by Ord. No.
O-08-07]
A.
The sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases
of the Code are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph
or section of the Code shall be declared unconstitutional, invalid
or unenforceable by the valid judgment or decree of a court of competent
jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality, invalidity or unenforceability
shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, sentences, paragraphs
or sections of the Code.
B.
Each section of this ordinance is an independent section,
and the holding of any section or part thereof to be unconstitutional,
void or ineffective for any cause shall not be deemed to affect the
validity or constitutionality of any other sections or parts thereof.
No provision of the Code designating the duties
of any officer or employee shall be so construed so as to make such
officer or employee liable for any fine or penalty provided in the
Code for a failure to perform such duty, unless the intention of the
Board of Aldermen to impose such a fine or penalty on such officer
or employee is specifically and clearly expressed in the section creating
the duty.
In all cases where the same offense is made
punishable or is created by different clauses or sections of the 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, provided that the revocation of a license or permit
shall not be considered a recovery or penalty so as to bar any other
penalty being enforced.
A.
Nothing in the Code or the ordinance adopting the
Code shall be construed to repeal or otherwise affect the validity
of any of the following:
(1)
Any ordinance promising or guaranteeing the payment
of money for the City, or any evidence of the City's indebtedness.
(2)
Any appropriation ordinance or ordinance providing
for the levy or imposition of taxes, assessments or charges, or for
an annual budget.
[Amended 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(3)
Any ordinance annexing territory to the City or excluding
territory as a part of the City.
(4)
Any ordinance granting franchise, permit or other
right.
(5)
Any ordinance zoning or rezoning specific property.
(6)
Any ordinance accepting a subdivision plat.
(7)
Any ordinance approving, authorizing or otherwise
relating to any contract, agreement, lease, deed or other instrument
or the purchase, sale, lease or transfer of property.
[Amended 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(8)
Any ordinance adopting a preliminary plan or development
plan.
(9)
Any temporary ordinance.
(10)
Any ordinance enacted after July 11, 2007.
[Amended 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(11)
Any right or liability established, accrued or incurred
under any legislative provision prior to the effective date of this
ordinance or any action or proceeding brought for the enforcement
of such right or liability.
[Added 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(12)
Any offense or act committed or done before the effective
date of this ordinance in violation of any legislative provision or
any penalty, punishment or forfeiture which may result therefrom.
[Added 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(13)
Any prosecution, indictment, action, suit or other
proceeding pending or any judgment rendered prior to the effective
date of this ordinance brought pursuant to any legislative provision.
[Added 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(14)
Any ordinance providing for the laying out, opening,
altering, widening, relocating, straightening, establishing grade,
changing name, improvement, acceptance or vacating of any right-of-way,
easement, street, road, highway, park or other public place or any
portion thereof.
[Added 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(15)
Any ordinance appropriating money or transferring
funds, promising or guaranteeing the payment of money or authorizing
the issuance and delivery of any bond or other instruments or evidence
of the city's indebtedness.
[Added 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(16)
All currently effective ordinances pertaining to the
rate and manner of payment of salaries and compensation of officers
and employees.
[Added 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
(17)
Any legislation relating to or establishing a pension
plan or pension fund for municipal employees.
[Added 2-26-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-07]
B.
All such ordinances are hereby recognized as continuing
in full force and effect to the same extent as if set out at length
herein.
[NRO 1975, T. 16, § 2 (Sec. 1-12
of the 1987 Code); amended 9-13-1974 by Ord. No. O-74-88; 5-11-1982 by Ord. No. O-82-25; 12-22-2009 by Ord. No. O-09-75]
A.
Full payment of outstanding taxes and fees required.
The City may reject or terminate any contract or agreement with any
person, partnership, corporation or other business entity, who owes
any sum of money to the City, or is engaged in any course of conduct
which violates any of the laws of the state, or any of the ordinances
of the City, or any condition, requirement or decision of any officer,
board, agency or department of the City, or any contract or agreement
with any such officer, board, agency or department.
B.
Exemption for certain real estate transactions. However,
in situations where a seller has transferred property after April
first of that year and can substantiate that he has paid his share
of taxes to the buyer, either by proration at time of closing or upon
receipt of the tax bill after the time of closing, and the buyer has
not paid said tax bill in a timely manner, the above provisions shall
not apply against the seller by reason of nonpayment of taxes due
on such property.
C.
Waiver authorized. The requirements of this section
may be waived by the responsible officer, board, agency or department
head of the City if it has been determined that such waiver is in
the best interest of the City.
[Added 11-22-2005 by Ord. No. O-05-122; 12-22-2009 by Ord. No. O-09-75]