If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provision or application of this chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable. The council declares that it would have adopted and passed this chapter and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase and word hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more of the other sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or words hereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional. (Prior code § 8425)