(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 town’s Board of Trustees 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 town 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) May; shall. The word “may” is permissive; the word “shall” is mandatory.
(F) Non-technical and technical words. Words and phrases shall be construed 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 law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.
(G) Officers and employees generally. Whenever any officer or employee is referred to by title only, such reference shall be construed as if followed by the words “of the Town of Seiling”.
(H) Tense. Words used in the past or present tense include the future, as well as the past and present.
(I) Ordinance. The word “ordinance” contained in the ordinances of the town 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 town ordinances is not meant to amend passage and effective dates of such original ordinances.
(Prior Code, § 1-3-1)