In the construction of this code and of all ordinances of the city, the following definitions and rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the governing body or the context clearly requires otherwise:
(a) City - shall mean the City of Alma, Kansas.
(b) Code - shall mean "The Code of the City of Alma, Kansas."
(c) Computation of Time. - The time within which an act is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first and including the last day; and if the last day be a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, that day shall be excluded.
(d) County - means the County of Wabaunsee in the State of Kansas.
(e) Delegation of Authority. - Whenever a provision appears requiring or authorizing the head of a department or officer of the city to do some act or perform some duty, it shall be construed to authorize such department head or officer to designate, delegate and authorize subordinates to do the required act or perform the required duty unless the terms of the provision designate otherwise.
(f) Gender. - Words importing the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter.
(g) Governing Body - shall be construed to mean the mayor and city council of the city, or those persons appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor or the council as provided in this code.
(h) In the city - shall mean and include all territory over which the city now has, or shall hereafter acquire jurisdiction for the exercise of its police powers or other regulatory powers.
(i) Joint authority. - All words giving 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.
(j) Month - shall mean a calendar month.
(k) Number. - Words used in the singular include the plural and words used in the plural include the singular.
(l) Oath - includes an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in such cases the word "swear" is equivalent to the word "affirm."
(m) Officers, departments, etc. - Officers, departments, boards, commissions and employees referred to in this code shall mean officers, departments, boards, commissions and employees of the city, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(n) Owner - applied to a building or land, shall include not only the owner of the whole but any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common or joint tenant of the whole or a part of such building or land.
(o) Person - includes a firm, partnership, association of persons, corporation, organization or any other group acting as a unit, as well as an individual.
(p) Property - includes real, personal and mixed property.
(q) Real Property - includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interest therein, equitable as well as legal.
(r) Shall, May. - "Shall" is mandatory and "may" is permissive.
(s) Sidewalk - means any portion of a street between the curb line and the adjacent property line intended for the use of pedestrians.
(t) Signature, subscription - includes a mark when the person cannot write, when his or her name is written near such mark and is witnessed by a person who writes his or her own name as a witness.
(u) State - shall be construed to mean the State of Kansas.
(v) Street - means and includes public streets, avenues, boulevards, highways, roads, alleys, lanes, viaducts, bridges and the approaches thereto and all other public thoroughfares in the city.
(w) Tenant or occupant - applied to a building or land, shall include any person holding a written or oral lease of, or who occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, whether alone or with others.
(x) Tenses. - Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
(y) Writing or written - may include printing, engraving, lithography and any other mode of representing words and letters, except those cases where the written signature or the mark of any person is required by law.
(z) Year - means a calendar year, except where otherwise provided.
(Code 2000)