§ 1-3. Rules of construction.

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

City. The term "city," "the city" or "this city" shall mean the City of Laredo in Webb County, Texas.

City secretary, chief of police or other city officers or departments. The words "city secretary," "chief of police" or words designating any other city officers or departments shall be construed to mean the city secretary, chief of police or such other municipal officers or departments, respectively, of the City of Laredo, Texas.

Code. The words "the Code" or "this Code" shall mean the "Code of Ordinances, City of Laredo, Texas."

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 or step in a proceeding shall be had, the day on which such notice is given, or such act is done, shall be counted in computing the time, but the day on which such proceeding or step in a proceeding is to be had shall not be counted; except as otherwise expressly provided in this Code.

Council. The words "the council" or "the city council" shall mean the mayor and councilmen acting as the city council of Laredo, Texas.

County. The word "county" shall mean Webb County, Texas.

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

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

Month. The word "month" shall mean a calendar month, except as otherwise specified in this Code.

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

Oath. The word "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 words "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the words "affirm" and "affirmed."

Official time standard. Whenever certain hours are named in this Code, they shall mean standard time or daylight saving time, as may be in current use in the city.

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, except as otherwise defined in this Code.

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

Personal property. The words "personal property" include 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.

Property. The word "property" includes real and personal property, and "mixed" if the sense used so indicates.

Real property. The words "real property" include land, tenements and hereditaments.

Roadway. The word "roadway" shall mean that portion of a street improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic.

Shall, may. "Shall" is mandatory; "may" is permissive.

Sidewalk. The word "sidewalk" shall mean any portion of the street between the curb or the lateral line of the roadway and the adjacent property line, all or a part of which is intended for the use of pedestrians.

Sidewalk area. The term "sidewalk area" shall mean the space between the lateral line of the roadway and the boundary separating the public right-of-way and the adjacent private property.

Signature or subscription. The word "signature" or "subscription" shall include a mark when a person cannot write.

State. The words "the state" or "this state" shall be construed to mean the State of Texas.

Street. The term "street" shall include any highway, alley, street, avenue, public place or square, bridge, viaduct, culvert, underpass, overpass, tunnel, causeway or other public way in the city, dedicated or devoted to public use.

Tense. Words used in the past or present tense, include the future as well as the past and present.

V.A.C.S., V.A.T.S., V.T.C.S., V.A.P.C., V.T.P.C., V.A.C.C.P., V.T.C.C.P. Such abbreviations shall mean and include Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes, Vernon's Annotated Texas Statutes, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes, Vernon's Annotated Penal Code, Vernon's Texas Penal Code, Vernon's Annotated Code of Criminal Procedure, Vernon's Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and other portions of such codification of the Texas Statutes as indicated.

Written or in writing. The term "written" or "in writing" shall be construed to include any representation, other than oral, of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.

Year. The word "year" shall man a calendar year, except as otherwise provided in this Code.