§ 1-2. Definitions and rules of construction generally.

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

Charter. The word "Charter" shall mean the Parish Charter adopted on November 5, 1957, as amended.

Code. Reference to "the Code" or "this Code" shall mean the "Code of Ordinances, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana," 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 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 is to be had shall not be counted.

Council. The words "the council" or "this council" shall be construed to mean the Council of Jefferson Parish.

Ditch means any long and narrow excavation below the surface of the earth, dug in the roadside of a right-of-way, parallel to and alongside the boundary line of a roadway, designed to carry surface water from the roadway and surrounding property, with a width at its top of less than thirty-five (35) feet, but more than five (5) feet.

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.

Joint authority. All words giving a joint authority to three (3) or more persons or officers shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such persons or officers.

May/Shall. "May" is discretionary; "shall" is mandatory.

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

Nontechnical and technical words. Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language; but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.

Number. A word importing the singular number only may extend and be applied to several persons and things as well as to one (1) person and thing.

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

Officers, boards, departments, other agencies. Reference in this Code to any officer, board, department, or other agency, shall be construed as if followed by the words "of Jefferson Parish." They shall be construed to include any authorized representative thereof.

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

Owner. The word "owner" applied to a building, or land, shall include any part owner.

Parish. The words "the parish" or "this parish" shall mean the Parish of Jefferson.

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

Personal property, includes every species of property except real property, as herein defined.

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

Professional service means work rendered by an independent contractor who has a professed knowledge of some department of learning or science used by its practical application to the affairs of others or in the practice of an art founded on it, including but not limited to lawyers, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, architects, engineers, landscape architects, accountants, insurance agents, and publishers. A profession is a vocation founded upon prolonged and specialized intellectual training which enables a particular service to be rendered. The word "professional" implies professed attainments in special knowledge as distinguished from mere skill.

Property. The word "property" shall include real and personal property.

Public place. The words "public place" shall mean any park, cemetery, school yard or open space adjacent thereto, and all beaches, canals or other waterways.

Real property shall include lands, tenements and hereditaments.

Residence. The word "residence" shall be construed to mean the place adopted by a person as his place of habitation, and to which, whenever he is absent, he has the intention of returning. When a person eats at one (1) place and sleeps at another, the place where such person sleeps shall be deemed his residence.

Roadside means that portion of right-of-way or street between the curb line or lateral line of a roadway and the adjacent property line, intended for use of pedestrians, driveway aprons, shoulders and public utilities, including but not limited to drainage ditches.

R.S. The abbreviation "R.S." shall be construed to be the Louisiana Revised Statutes, as amended.

Sidewalk. The word "sidewalk" shall be construed to mean that portion of a roadside intended for pedestrian traffic and improved with a concrete pedestrian walkway, or other hard impervious surface; also referred to as "banquette."

Signature or subscription includes a mark when the person cannot write.

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

Street. The word "street" means the entire width between the boundary lines of the right-of-way, public way or place of whatever nature publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for the purpose of vehicular travel, including roadways, bridges, causeways, tunnels, viaducts, ferries, bicycle paths, as well as any other public way or parts thereof, including medians, neutral grounds, roadways, roadsides, shoulders for the purposes of vehicular traffic, and pedestrian islands, esplanades and sidewalks for purposes of pedestrian traffic; the term shall be construed to embrace streets, avenues, boulevards, parkways, roads, roadways, thoroughfares, alleys, lanes, public servitudes and all other public ways or parts thereof, intended for vehicular, pedestrian or bicycle travel ways.

Tenant. The word "tenant" or "occupant" applied to a building or land, shall include any person holding a written or oral lease of, or who occupies, the whole or a part of such building or land, either alone or with others.

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

Week. The word "week" shall be construed to mean seven (7) days.

Written or in writing, shall be construed to include any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.

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

(Code 1961, § 1-2; Ord. No. 15702, § 1, 8-24-83; Ord. No. 16613, § I, 9-25-85; Ord. No. 23233, § 1, 1-23-08; Ord. No. 23292, § 45, 5-7-08)