The provisions of this charter are severable.
If any of the provisions of this charter are held to be unconstitutional,
or invalid, the remaining provisions of this charter shall not be
affected thereby. If the application of this charter, or any of its
provisions, to any person or circumstances is held to be invalid,
the application of said charter and its provisions to other persons
or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
The following rules shall apply when interpreting
the charter:
(a) Specific provisions to prevail. To the extent that
any specific provision of the charter shall conflict with any provision
expressed in general terms, the specific provision shall prevail.
(b) Number and Gender. Words imparting the singular number
may extend and be applied to several persons or things; words imparting
the plural number may include the singular; words imparting the masculine
gender shall include the feminine gender.
(c) References to General Laws. All references to the
general laws or the laws of the commonwealth contained in the charter
refer to the general laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
are intended to include any amendments or revisions to such chapters
and sections or to the corresponding chapters and sections of any
rearrangement of the general laws enacted subsequent to the adoption
of the charter.
(d) Computation of time. In computing time under the charter,
if seven days or less, only business days, not including Saturdays,
Sundays, or legal holidays shall be counted; if more than seven days,
every day shall be counted.
Unless another meaning is clearly apparent from
the manner in which the word is used, the following words as used
in the charter shall have the following meanings:
(a) Charter - The word "charter" shall mean this charter
and any amendments to it made through any methods provided under Article
LXXXIX(89) of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth.
(b) Town - The word "town" shall mean the town of Chelmsford.
(c) Voters - The word "voters" shall mean registered voters
of the town.
(d) Majority Vote - The words "majority vote" shall mean
a majority of those present and voting, provided a quorum is present
when a vote is taken, unless a higher number is required by law, this
charter, or by the town meeting's own rules.
(e) Town agency or agency - The words "town agency" or
the word "agency" shall mean any board, commission, committee, department
or office of town government, whether elected, appointed or otherwise
constituted.
(f) Multiple member body - The words "multiple member
body" shall mean any board, commission or committee.
(g) Officer - The word "officer" shall mean a position or board; (i)
whose duties are public in nature; (ii) that has entrusted to it some
portion of the sovereign authority of the state; (iii) whose duties
are not merely clerical, but involve the exercise of power and authority
bestowed by the law; or (iv) that holds a position established by
law.
[Added by Acts of 2018, Ch. 76, approved 4-12-2018]