In the construction of this code and of all ordinances of the city, the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the city council or the context clearly requires otherwise:

    “City” means the city of Grass Valley, California.

    “Code” means “The code of the city of Grass Valley, California.”

    “Code enforcement administrator” or “code administrator” means the city administrator who is charged to see that law applicable upon the city and that the charter, this code, ordinances and resolutions of the city are faithfully observed and enforced.

    “Code enforcement officer” and “designated duties” means those city employees appointed and charged or designated deputies by the code enforcement administrator to enforce specific areas of law as provided by this code.

    “Computation of time” means the time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday and then it is also excluded.

    “Council” or “city council” means the city council of the city of Grass Valley.

    “County” means the county of Nevada, state of California.

    “Day” means the period of time between any midnight and the midnight following.

    Daytime, nighttime. “Daytime” is the period of time between sunrise and sunset. “Nighttime” is the period of time between sunset and sunrise.

    Gender. The masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter.

    “In the city.” The words “in the city” mean and include all territory over which the city now has, or shall hereafter acquire, jurisdiction for the exercise of its police powers or other regulatory powers.

    Joint authority. All words giving a joint authority to three or more persons or officers shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such persons or officers.

    “Month” means a calendar month.

    Number. The singular number includes the plural, and the plural the singular.

    “Oath” includes an affirmation.

    “Officers,” “departments,” etc. Officers, departments, boards, commissions and employees referred to in this code shall mean officers, departments, boards, commissions and employees of the city of Grass Valley, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

    Official time. Whenever certain hours are named in this code, they shall mean Pacific Standard Time or Daylight Savings Time, as may be in current use in the city.

    “Operate” means and includes carrying on, keeping, conduction, or maintaining.

    Owner. The word “owner” 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 of a part of such building or land.

    “Person” includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation or company, political subdivision, city (except the city of Grass Valley), the county of Nevada, any district in the county of Nevada, the state of California, or the United States of America, or any department or agency of any thereof, unless this code expressly provides otherwise.

    “Personal property” includes every species of property, except real property, as defined in this section.

    Preceding, following. The words “preceding” and “following” mean next before and next after, respectively.

    “Process” includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature.

    “Property” includes real and personal property.

    “Real property” means lands, tenements and hereditaments.

    “Sale” means any sale, exchange, barter, or offer for sale.

    Shall, may. “Shall” is mandatory and “may” is permissive.

    Signature or subscription by mark. “Signature” or “subscription by mark” includes a mark when the signer or subscriber cannot write, such signer’ s or subscriber’ s mark being made near the signer’ s or subscriber’ s name; but, a signature or subscription by mark can be acknowledged or can serve as a signature or subscription to a sworn statement only when two witnesses so sign their own names thereto.

    “State” means the state of California.

    “Street” includes all streets, highways, avenues, boulevards, alleys, courts, places, squares, or other public ways in the city of Grass Valley which have been or may hereafter be dedicated

and open to public use, or such other public property so designated in any law of the state.

    “Tenant” or “occupant,” applied to a building or land, includes any person holding a written or an oral lease of, or who occupies the whole or a part of, such building or land, either alone or with others.

    Tenses. The present tense includes the past and future tenses, and the future includes the present.

    “Week” means seven consecutive days.

    “Writing” includes any form of recorded message capable of comprehension by ordinary visual means. Whenever any notice, report, statement or record is required or authorized by this code, it shall be made in writing in the English language, unless it is expressly provided otherwise.

    “Year” means a calendar year, except where otherwise provided. (Ord. 452 § 1 (part), 1990: prior code § 1-2)