§ 1-2. Definitions and rules of construction.

In the construction of this Code, and of all ordinances and resolutions passed by the town council, the following definitions and rules shall be observed unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the town council:

Boards, committees, commissions, officers, employees, departments. Any reference to town boards, committees, commissions, officers, employees, or departments shall be construed to mean the respective entities or personnel of the Town of Little Elm, Texas.

Code. The term "this Code" shall mean the Code of Ordinances, Town of Little Elm, Texas, as designated in section 1-1.

Computation of time. Whenever a notice is required to be given or an act to be done a certain length of time before any proceeding shall be conducted, the day on which such notice is given or such act is done shall not be counted in computing the time, but the day on which such proceeding is to be done shall be counted unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.

State Law reference— Similar provision, V.T.C.A., Government Code § 311.004.

County. The term "county" shall mean the County of Denton, Texas.

Delegation of authority. Whenever a section or provision appears to require the head of a department or some other town officer or employee to do some act or perform some duty, it shall be construed to authorize the head of the department or other officer or employee to designate, delegate and authorize subordinates to perform the required act or duty, unless the terms of the provision or section specify otherwise.

Gender. A term importing the masculine gender only shall extend and be applied to females and to firms, partnerships, associations and corporations, as well as to males.

Highway. The term "highway" shall include any street, alley, highway, avenue, public place or square, bridge, viaduct, tunnel, underpass, overpass and causeway in the town, dedicated or devoted to public use.

Joint authority. Words purporting to give authority to three or more officers or other persons shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such officers or other persons, unless it is otherwise declared.

Month. The term "month" shall mean a calendar month.

Municipality. The term "municipality" shall mean this political subdivision, the Town of Little Elm, Texas.

Number. Any word importing the singular number shall include the plural, and any word importing the plural number shall include the singular.

Oath. The term "oath" shall be construed to include an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in such cases the terms "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the terms "affirm" and "affirmed."

Or, and. The term "or" may be read as "and", and the term "and" may be read as "or" if the sense requires it.

Owner. The term "owner," as applied to a building or land, shall include any part owner, joint owner, tenant in common, tenant in partnership, joint tenant, or tenant by the entirety of the whole or part of such building or land.

Person. The term "person" shall extend to and be applied to associations, corporations, firms, partnerships and bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals.

Preceding, following. The terms "preceding" and "following" shall mean next before and next after, respectively.

Shall. The term "shall" always means mandatory and never means permissive.

Sidewalk. The term "sidewalk" shall mean any portion of the street between the curb, or the lateral link of the roadway and adjacent property line, intended for use by pedestrians.

Signature, subscription. These terms shall include a mark when a person cannot write.

State. The term "state" shall mean the State of Texas.

Street. The term "street" shall include any highway, alley, street, avenue, boulevard, public place or square, viaduct, underpass, overpass, tunnel and causeway in the town, dedicated to public use.

Texas Admin. Code. The term "Texas Admin. Code" shall mean the Texas Administrative Code.

Town. The terms "the town" or "this town" or "town" shall mean the Town of Little Elm, in the County of Denton, in the State of Texas.

Vernon's Ann. Civ. St. This means the latest edition or supplement to Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes.

V.T.C.A. This means and refers to the latest edition or supplement to Vernon's Texas Code Annotated.

Written; in writing. The terms "written" and "in writing" shall be construed to include any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.

Year. The term "year" shall mean a calendar year.