In the construction of this Code and of all ordinances of the City, the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the City Council or the context clearly requires otherwise:
CITY: The words "the City" or "this City" shall be construed as if followed by the words "of El Segundo".
COMPUTATION OF TIME: The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday and then it is also excluded.
COUNCIL: Whenever the word "Council" is used in this Code, it means the City Council of El Segundo.
COUNTY: The words "the County" or "this County" mean the County of Los Angeles.
DAY: The period of time between any midnight and the midnight following.
DAYTIME, NIGHTTIME: "Daytime" is the period of time between sunrise and sunset. "Nighttime" is the period of time between sunset and sunrise.
GENDER: The masculine "gender" includes the feminine and neuter.
IN THE CITY: Means and includes all territory over which the City now has, or shall hereafter acquire, jurisdiction for the exercise of its police powers or other regulatory powers.
JOINT AUTHORITY: All words giving a "joint authority" to three (3) or more persons or officers shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such persons or officers.
MONTH: A calendar month.
NUMBER: The singular "number" includes the plural, and the plural the singular.
OATH: "Oath" includes an affirmation.
OFFICERS, DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, EMPLOYEES: 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.
OFFICIAL TIME: Whenever certain hours are named in this Code, they mean Pacific Standard Time or daylight-saving time, as may be in current use in the City.
OR, AND: "Or" may be read "and", and "and" may be read "or", if the sense requires it.
OWNER: Applied to a building or land, includes 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: Includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation or company.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: Includes every species of property, except "real property", as defined in this Section.
PRECEDING, FOLLOWING: The words "preceding" and "following" mean next before and next after, respectively.
PROCESS: Includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature.
PROPERTY: Includes real and personal property.
REAL PROPERTY: Includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.
SHALL, MAY: "Shall" is mandatory and "may" is permissive.
SIGNATURE OR SUBSCRIPTION BY MARK: "Signature" or "subscription" includes 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's 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 (2) witnesses so sign their own names thereto.
STATE: The words "the State" or "this State" mean the State of California.
TENANT OR OCCUPANT: Applied to a building or land, shall include any person holding a written or an oral lease of, or who occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, either alone or with others.
TENSES: The present "tense" includes the past and future tenses, and the future includes the present.
WEEK: A "week" consists of seven (7) consecutive days.
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.
YEAR: A calendar year, except where otherwise provided. (Ord. 715, 4-28-1969)