§ 1-4. Rules of construction generally.

In the construction of this Code and of all ordinances and resolutions passed by the city council, the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the city council:

City. The words "the city" or "this city" shall mean the City of Altus in Jackson County, Oklahoma.

City council. The words "city council" or "the council" shall mean the City Council of the City of Altus, Oklahoma.

Code. Reference to "this Code" or "the Code" shall mean the Code of Ordinances, City of Altus, Oklahoma, as designated in section 1-1 of this chapter.

Computation of time. Whenever a notice is required to be given or an act to be done a certain length of time before any proceeding shall be had, the day on which such notice is given or such act is done shall be excluded in computing the time, and the day on which such proceeding is to be had shall be included.

County. The term "county," "the county" or "this county" shall mean Jackson County, Oklahoma.

Electric department, superintendent. The term "electric department" shall mean the electric department, or electric utility department, if the electrical service is organized as a separate administrative department; or, if combined with another utility or activity, it shall mean the combined department. "Electric superintendent" means the head of the department having charge of the electrical system, whether such department contains another utility or activity or not.

Health officer. The term "health officer" shall mean the director of the city-county health department.

Highway. The term "highway" shall include any street, alley, highway, avenue or public place or square, bridge, viaduct, tunnel, underpass, overpass or causeway in the city, dedicated or devoted to public use.

Joint authority. Words purporting to give authority to three (3) or more officers or other persons shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such officers or other persons, unless it is otherwise declared.

Mayor. The word "mayor" shall refer to the mayor of the city, or to his duly designated delegate where a delegation of authority is lawful.

Month. The word "month" shall mean a calendar month.

Oath. The word "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."

Officers, departments, etc. Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever any officer, department, board, commission or other agency is referred to by title alone, such reference shall be construed as if followed by the words "of the City of Altus, Oklahoma."

Or, and. "Or" may be read "and," and "and" may be read "or," if the sense requires it.

Ordinances of the city. The words "ordinances of the city" shall refer to this Code and the other ordinances of the city.

Owner. The word "owner," applied to a building or land, shall include 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. The word "person" shall extend and be applied to associations, corporations, firms, partnerships, organizations and bodies politic and corporate as well as to individuals. Whenever used with respect to any penalty, the word "person," as applied to partnerships or associations, shall mean the partners or members thereof, and as applied to corporations, the officers thereof.

Preceding, following. The words "preceding" and "following" mean next before and next after, respectively.

Roadway. The word "roadway" shall mean that portion of a street improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic.

Shall, should, may. The word "shall" is mandatory and not directory. The word "should" is recommendatory. The word "may" is permissive.

Sidewalk. The word "sidewalk" shall mean any portion of the street between the curb, or the lateral line of the roadway and the adjacent property line, intended for the use of pedestrians.

Signature or subscription. The term "signature" or "subscription" shall include a mark when a person cannot write.

State. The words "the state" or "this state" shall be construed to mean the State of Oklahoma.

Statutory references. A reference to the statutes of the State of Oklahoma means the statutes as they now are or as they may be amended to be, and a reference to the 1971 statutes or a supplementation thereof also means the comparable provision when included in future codifications or supplementations of the statutes.

Street. The term "street" shall include any highway, alley, street, avenue or public place, square, bridge, viaduct, underpass, overpass, tunnel or causeway in the city, dedicated or devoted to public use.

Tense. Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.

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.

Written or in writing. The term "written" or "in writing" shall be construed to include any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.

Year. The word "year" shall mean a calendar year.

(Code 1958, §§ 143, 522, 1028.01; Ord. No. 985, § 1, 7-18-77; Ord. No. 1003, § 2.1, 1-5-78)

State law reference

Meaning of words in statutes, 25 O.S. 1971, § 1.