The following rules of construction shall apply to this chapter.
(A) The particular shall control the general.
(B) Unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, where a regulation involves two or more items, conditions, provisions or events connected by a conjunction, the conjunctions shall have the following meanings.
(1) "And" indicates that all connected items, conditions, provisions or events shall apply.
(2) "Or" indicates that all connected items, conditions, provisions or events may apply singly or in any combination.
(3) "Either" indicates that the connected items, conditions, provisions or events shall apply singly, but not in combination.
(C) Unless the context indicates to the contrary, where an illustration accompanies any provision in this chapter, the written text shall have precedence over the illustrations.
(D) References to departments, commissions, boards other offices, and positions are to those of Williamstown Township, unless otherwise indicated. In the event that any department, commission, board or other office or position is renamed or replaced, then the reference shall apply to the successor department, commission, board, office or position.
(E) A reference to a public official of the township is to that person who performs the function referred to, and may include a designee of the public official.
(F) A reference to days is to calendar days unless otherwise indicated in this chapter or specified by state law. If a deadline falls on a weekend or township holiday, the deadline shall be extended to the next working day. A working day is defined as any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or official township holiday.
(G) In computing a period of days, the day of the act or event from which the designated period of days begins to run shall be excluded, and the last day of the period is included, unless the last day is not a working day. If the last day is not a working day, the period runs until the end of the next working day.
(H) Use of "shall", "will" or "must" is mandatory; use of "may" is permissive.
(I) Use of "including", "includes", "such as", "additional" or "supplemental" means that the examples provided are illustrative and not an exhaustive listing, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.
(J) Words in the present tense include the future tense, words used in the plural include the singular, and the singular plural, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.
(K) The word "person" includes a firm, association, organization, partnership, trust, company or corporation, as well as an individual.
(L) "Across" or "across from" shall mean "on the opposite side" and shall not be interpreted as having the same meaning as "adjacent" or "contiguous" unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.
(M) All measurements shall be to the nearest integer, unless otherwise specified.
(N) Words or terms not defined herein shall have the meaning customarily assigned to them.
(Ord. passed 3-18-1997)