In the construction of the codified ordinances, the following rules and definitions shall control, excepting those inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Board of Township Commissioners as disclosed in a particular provision, section or chapter. For the purpose of this title, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADOPTING ORDINANCE. The ordinance of the municipality adopting the codified ordinances of Aston Township in conformity with the First Class Township Code.
AUTHORITY. Whenever in the codified ordinances AUTHORITY is given to an officer or an act is required to be performed, such authority may be exercised and such act may be performed, at the instance of such officer, by a deputy or subordinate, unless contrary to law or to the clear intent of any such particular provision.
BOARD OF TOWNSHIP COMMISSIONERS. The legislative authority of Aston Township.
CALENDAR; COMPUTATION OF TIME.
(1) The terms
MONTH and YEAR mean the calendar month or year.
(2) The time expressed in days within which an act is to be done or a period is to expire shall be computed by excluding the first and including the last day, unless the last day is a Sunday, in which case it shall be excluded.
(3) If time is expressed in hours, the whole of Sunday shall be excluded.
CONJUNCTIONS. AND includes OR; and OR includes AND, if the sense so requires.
COUNTY. The County of Delaware, Pennsylvania.
FIRST CLASS TOWNSHIP CODE. The First Class Township Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, being the Act of June 24, 1931 (P.L. 1206, No. 331), re-enacted and amended May 27, 1949 (P.L. 1955, No. 569), as amended, being 53 P.S. §§ 55101 et seq.
GENDER. Words importing the masculine shall extend and be applied to the feminine and neuter genders.
GENERAL RULE. Except as otherwise provided in this section, words and phrases shall be construed according to the common usage of the language; provided, however, that technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a special meaning in the law shall be construed according to such technical or special meaning.
JOINT AUTHORITY. Words giving authority to a board, commission, authority or to three or more officers or employees or other persons shall be construed as giving authority to a majority thereof, unless otherwise specifically provided.
KEEPER and PROPRIETOR. Persons, firms, associations, corporations, clubs and copartnerships, whether acting by themselves or as a servant, agent or employee.
LAND and REAL ESTATE. Include rights and easements of an incorporeal nature.
LAW. All applicable laws of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
MANAGER. The Manager of the township.
MUNICIPALITY. Aston Township, Pennsylvania.
NUMBER. Words in the plural include the singular and words in the singular include the plural number.
OATH. Includes affirmation. When an OATH is required or authorized by law, an affirmation in lieu thereof may be taken by a person having conscientious scruples about taking an OATH. An affirmation shall have the same force and effect as an OATH.
ORDINANCE. Includes any ordinance of the municipality, including any provision of these codified ordinances.
OWNER. When applied to property, includes a part owner, joint owner or tenant in common of the whole or any part of such property.
PERSON. An individual, association, club, corporation, firm, partnership, body politic or other legal entity.
PREMISES. When used as applicable to property, extends to and includes land and buildings.
PROPERTY. Includes real and personal property and any mixed and lesser estates or interests therein. PERSONAL PROPERTY includes every kind of property except real property; REAL PROPERTY includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
PUBLISH. To print in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality the entire document or a brief summary thereof with a listing of places where copies have been filed and times when they are available for inspection.
REASONABLE TIME. In all cases where provision is made for an act to be done or notice to be given within a REASONABLE TIME, it shall be deemed to mean such time only as may be necessary for the prompt performance of such act or the giving of such notice.
RESIDENCE. An abode in which a person permanently resides.
SHALL and MAY. SHALL is mandatory; MAY is permissive.
SIDEWALK. Any portion of a street between the curb line and the adjacent property line, intended for the use of pedestrians, excluding parkways.
STATE and COMMONWEALTH. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
STREET. Alleys, avenues, boulevards, lanes, roads, streets, state highways and other public ways in the municipality.
TENANT and OCCUPANT. As applied to buildings or land, shall extend and be applied to any person holding a written or oral lease of, or who occupies the whole or any part of, a building or land, alone or with others.
TENSES. The use of any verb in the present tense includes the future.
TIME. Whenever any time established in the codified ordinances for the taking of any action expires on a Sunday or a legal holiday, such time shall not expire on such day but shall expire on the next week day.
TOWNSHIP. The municipality of Aston Township, Pennsylvania.
UNIT. Any governmental entity of the municipality.