A. Liberal Construction: All general provisions, terms, phrases and expressions contained in this code shall be liberally construed in order that the true intent and meaning of the mayor and city council may be fully carried out.
B. Minimum Requirements: In the interpretation and application of any provision of this code, it shall be held to be the minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the public health, safety and general welfare.
C. Delegation Of Authority: Whenever a provision appears requiring the head of a department or some other city officer to do some act or perform some duty, it is to be construed to authorize the head of the department or other officer to designate, delegate and authorize subordinates to perform the required act or perform the duty unless the terms of the provision or section specify otherwise.
D. Gender: The use of any gender based pronoun should not be construed to be gender biased, but is only used for grammatical simplicity.
E. Law: Includes applicable federal law, provisions of the constitution and statutes of the state of Oklahoma, the ordinances of the city, and, when appropriate, any and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
F. May/Shall: The word "may" is permissive; the word "shall" is mandatory.
G. Or/And: "Or" may be read "and", and "and" may be read "or", if the sense requires it.
H. Preceding, Following: The next before and next after, respectively.
I. Nontechnical And Technical Words: Words and phrases which are not specifically defined shall be construed according to the common and accepted usage of the language; but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.
J. Number: A word importing the singular number only may extend and be applied to several persons and things as well as to one person and thing. Words used in the plural number may also include the singular unless a contrary intention plainly appears.
K. Officers, Employees, Agencies Generally: Whenever any officer, employee, agency or department is referred to by title only, such reference shall be construed as if followed by the words "of the city of Jay".
L. Tense: Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
M. Statutory References: Reference to the statutes of the state of Oklahoma means the statutes as they now are or as they may be amended to be.
N. Ordinance: The word "ordinance" contained in the ordinances of the city has been changed in the content of this code to "title", "chapter", "section" and/or "subsection" or words of like import for organizational and clarification purposes only. Such change to the city's ordinances is not meant to amend passage and effective dates of such original ordinances. (1985 Code § 1-102; amd. 2016 Code)