In the construction of the Codified Ordinances, the following rules and definitions shall control, except those that are inconsistent with the manifest intent of Council as disclosed in a particular provision, section or chapter:
(1) Adopting Ordinance. "Adopting Ordinance" means the ordinance of the City adopting the Codified Ordinances of Freeport, Illinois, 1993, in conformity with the Illinois Compiled Statutes and this Chapter 202.
(2) 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.
(3) Business District. "Business district" means that area bounded by Jackson Street, the Pecatonica River, Clark Street and Cherry Avenue.
(4) Calendar. The terms "month" and "year" mean the calendar month or year.
(5) Central Business District. "Central Business District" means all streets and portions of streets within the area described as follows: beginning at the southwesterly corner of Jackson and Walnut, thence easterly along the southerly side of Jackson to Liberty, thence northerly along the easterly side of Liberty to Exchange, thence westerly along the northerly side of Exchange to Adams, thence northerly along the easterly side of Adams to Douglas, thence westerly along the northerly side of Douglas to Cherry, thence southerly along the westerly side of Cherry to Spring, thence easterly along the southerly side of Spring to Walnut, thence to the point of beginning.
(6) City Code. "City Code" means these Codified Ordinances and any amendment thereto not yet codified therein.
(7) Codified Ordinances. "Codified Ordinances" means the Codified Ordinances of the City of Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois.
(8) Conjunctions. "And" includes "or" and "or" includes "and," if the sense so requires.
(9) County. "County" means the County of Stephenson, Illinois.
(10) Council. "Council" or "City Council" means the City Council of the City of Freeport.
(11) Court. "Court" means any court of competent jurisdiction.
(12) Gender. Words importing the masculine shall extend and be applied to the feminine and neuter genders, as well as to firms, partnerships and corporations.
(13) 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.
(14) Illinois Municipal Code. "Illinois Municipal Code" means Chapter 65 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
(15) 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.
(16) Keeper and Proprietor. "Keeper" and "proprietor" mean persons, firms, associations, corporations, clubs and copartnerships, whether acting by themselves or as a servant, agent or employee.
(17) Land and Real Estate. "Land" and "real estate" include rights and easements of an incorporeal nature.
(18) Municipality or City. "Municipality" or "City" means the City of Freeport, Illinois.
(19) Number. Words in the plural include the singular and words in the singular include the plural.
(20) Oath. "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.
(21) Owner. "Owner," when applied to property, includes a part owner, joint owner or tenant in common of the whole or any part of such property.
(22) Person. "Person" means an individual, association, club, corporation, firm, partnership or body politic in his, her or its own capacity or as administrator, conservator, executor, trustee, receiver or other representative appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction. Whenever the word "person" is used in any section of these Codified Ordinances prescribing a penalty or a fine as applied to partnerships or associations, the word shall include the partners or members thereof, and such word as applied to corporations shall include the officers, agents or employees thereof who are responsible for any violation of such section.
(23) Preceding and Following. The words "preceding" and "following" mean next before and next after, respectively.
(24) Premises. "Premises," when used as applicable to property, extends to and includes land and buildings.
(25) Property. "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 land, tenements and hereditaments.
(26) Public Way. "Public way" means any sidewalk, street, alley, highway or other public thoroughfare.
(27) 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.
(28) Shall and May. "Shall" is mandatory; "may" is permissive.
(29) Sidewalk. "Sidewalk" means any portion of a street between the curb line and the adjacent property line, intended for the use of pedestrians, excluding parkways.
(30) Signature or Subscription. "Signature" or "subscription" includes a mark when the person cannot write.
(31) State. "State" means the State of Illinois.
(32) Statute. "Statute" shall be construed to mean any and all provisions of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
(33) Street. "Street" means alleys, avenues, boulevards, lanes, roads, streets, State highways and other public ways in the City and shall include all areas thereof embraced between the property lines and dedicated to public use.
(34) Sworn. "Sworn" means sworn or affirmed.
(35) Tenant and Occupant. "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.
(36) Tenses. The use of any verb in the present tense includes the future.
(37) Time. Whenever any time established in the Codified Ordinances for the taking of any action expires on a Sunday or legal holiday, such time shall not expire on such day but shall expire on the next week day.
Time, when expressed in days, shall be computed by excluding the first day and including the last, except that if the last day is a Sunday or legal holiday, it shall be excluded. When time is expressed in hours, the whole of Sunday, from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 midnight shall be excluded.
Unless otherwise hereinafter specifically provided, whenever a notice is required to be given or an act to be done a certain length of time before any proceeding is had, the day on which such notice is given or such act is done shall be counted in computing the time, but the day on which such proceeding is had shall not be counted.
If a time is given in a.m. or p.m., it means Central Standard Time, except that when the City is on Daylight Savings Time, it means Central Daylight Time.
(38) Written or Writing. "Written" or "in writing" includes any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.