The following words and phrases whenever used in the ordinances of the city of Chico, California, shall be construed as defined in this section unless from the context a different meaning is intended or unless a different meaning is specifically defined and more particularly directed to the use of such words and phrases:
A. “City” means the city of Chico, California, or the area within the territorial limits of
the city of Chico, California, and such territory outside of the city over which the city has jurisdiction or control by virtue of any constitutional or statutory provision.
B. “Clerk” means the city clerk of the city.
C. “Code,” “the code,” “this code,” “the city code” or “the Chico City Code” shall mean the “Chico Municipal Code” as published by Book Publishing Company in 1975. References to the code for purposes of citation may be “CMC” followed by the applicable code section.
D. “Computation of time” means the time within which an act is to be done. It shall be computed by excluding the first day and including the last day; and if the last day be Sunday or a legal holiday, that day shall be excluded.
E. “Council” means the council of the City of Chico, California. “All its members” or “all council members” or “councilmembers” means the total number of council members or councilmembers provided by the charter of the city.
F. “County” means the county of Butte.
G. “Day” means the period of time between any midnight and the midnight following.
H. “Daytime,” “Nighttime.” “Daytime” is the period of time between sunset and sunrise. “Nighttime” is the period of time between sunset and sunrise.
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. “Law” denotes applicable federal law, the Constitution and statutes of the state of California.
J-1. “Housing unit” means a house, apartment, group of rooms or a single room occupied or intended for occupancy as separate living quarters in which the occupants or intended occupants do not live and eat with any other persons in the structure and which have either:
1. Direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall, or
2. Complete kitchen facilities for the exclusive use of the occupants or intended occupants.
K. “License or permit - Words authorizing issuance.” Words prohibiting anything from being done, except in accordance with a license or permit, or authority from a board or officer, shall be construed as giving such board or officer power to license or permit or authorize such thing to be done.
L. “May” is permissive.
M. “Month” means a calendar month.
N. “Must” and “shall.” Each is mandatory.
O. “Oath” shall be construed to include an affirmation or declaration 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.”
P. “Officers, Departments, Boards, Commissions, and Employees” shall mean officers, departments, boards, commissions, and employees of the city, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Q. “Or” may be read “and” and “and” may be read “or” if the sense requires it.
R. “Ordinance” means a law of the city; provided that a temporary or special law, administrative action, order or directive, may be in the form of a resolution. Reference to any non-codified city ordinance for citation purposes may be “CC Ord.” preceded by the section number, if any, and followed by the ordinance number.
S. “Owner” applied to a building or land includes any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common, joint tenant or tenant by the entirety, of the whole or a part of such building or land.
T. “Parks and playgrounds” means the public lands placed by the Charter or hereafter placed by the city council under the charge of the Bidwell Park and Playground commission, and those parts of public squares and places which do not form traveled parts of highways.
U. “Person” means a natural person, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, association, club, company, corporation, business, trust, organization, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, officer or employee of any of them.
V. “Personal property” includes money, goods, chattels, things in action and evidences of debt.
W. “Preceding” and “following” mean next before and next after, respectively.
X. “Process” means a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature.
Y. “Property” includes real and personal property.
Z. “Real property” includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
AA. “Sidewalk” means that portion of a street between the curb line (in the absence of a curb line, the curb line shall be deemed to be that as established by and shown in the records of the department of public works of the city) and the adjacent property line intended for the use of pedestrians.
BB. “Signature or subscription by mark” means a mark when the signer or subscriber cannot write, such signer’s or subscriber’s name being written near the mark by a witness who writes his own name near the signer or subscriber’s name; but a signature or subscription by mark can be acknowledged or can serve as a signature or subscription to a sworn statement only when two witnesses so sign their own names thereto.
CC. “State” means the state of California.
DD. “Street” includes all streets, highways, avenues, lanes, alleys, courts, places, squares, curbs, or other public ways in this city which have been or may hereafter be dedicated and open to public use, or such other public property so designated in any law of this state.
EE. “Tenant” and “occupant” applied to a building or land, includes any person who occupies whole or a part of such building or land, whether alone or with others.
FF. “Title of Office.” Use of the title of any officer, employee, board or commission means that officer, employee, department, board or commission of the city.
GG. “Week.” A week consists of seven consecutive days.
HH. “Writing” includes any form of recorded message capable of comprehension by ordinary visual means. Whenever any notice, report, statement or record is required or authorized by this code, it shall be made in writing in the English language unless it is expressly provided otherwise.
II. “Written” includes printed, typewritten, mimeographed or multigraphed.
JJ. “Year” means a calendar year.
KK. All words and phrases shall be construed and understood 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 the law shall be construed and understood according to such peculiar and appropriate meaning.
LL. When an act is required by an ordinance the same being that it may be done as well as an agent as by the principal, such requirement shall be construed as to include all such acts performed by an authorized agent.
(Prior code § 1.2 (Ord. 224 §3, Ord. 1073 §2, Ord. 1111 §2, Ord. 1193 §1), Ord. 2268, Ord. 2364 §1, Ord. 2439 §6)