CITY OF COON RAPIDS, MINNESOTA
CHAPTER 2-200
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CODE AND PENALTIES
 

2-201 Construction of Ordinances. In the construction of the ordinances of the City of Coon Rapids the following rules shall be observed unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the ordinance:

(1) General Rule. All words and phrases shall be construed and understood 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 the law shall be construed and understood according to such peculiar and appropriate meaning.
(2) Gender--Singular and Plural. Every word in any ordinance importing the masculine gender shall extend to and be applied to females, as well as males; and every word importing the singular number only shall extend and be applied to several persons or things, as well as to one (1) person or thing; and every word importing the plural number only shall extend and be applied to one (1) person or thing, as well as to several persons or things.
(3) Person. The word “person” shall extend and be applied to firms, corporations, or voluntary associations, as well as to individuals, unless plainly inapplicable.
(4) Tenses. The use of any verb in the present tense shall include the future when applicable.
(5) Shall Have Been. The words “shall have been” include past and future cases.
(6) Joint Authority. All words purporting to give a joint authority to three (3) or more City officers or other persons shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such officers or other persons unless it shall be otherwise expressly declared in the law giving the authority.
(7) Acts by Agents. When an ordinance requires an act to be done which may by law, as well be done by an agent as by the principal such requisition shall be construed to include all such acts when done by an authorized agent.
(8) Reasonable Time. In all cases where any ordinance shall require any act to be done in a reasonable time or reasonable notice to be given, such reasonable time or notice shall be deemed to mean such time only as may be necessary for the prompt performance of such duty, or compliance with such notice.
(9) Time--How Computed. The time within which an act is to be done as provided in any ordinance or in any order issued pursuant to any ordinance, when expressed in days, shall be computed by excluding the first day and including the last, except that if the last day be Sunday it shall be excluded; and when any such time is expressed in hours the whole of Sunday, from midnight to midnight, shall be excluded.
(10) Week. The word “week” shall be construed to mean seven (7) days; but publication in a newspaper of any notice or other matter indicated to be for a stated number of weeks shall be construed to mean one (1) insertion in each week, unless specifically stated to be for each day of the week or for more than one (1) day in each week.

2-202 When These Rules of Construction Shall not Apply. The rules of construction set forth in this Ordinance shall not be applied to any ordinance which shall contain any express provision excluding such construction, or when the subject matter or context of such ordinance may be repugnant thereto.

2-203 Reference to Titles, Chapters, or Sections--Conflicting Provisions. In addition to the rules of construction specified in Section 2-201, the following rules shall be observed in the construction of this Code:

(1) All references to titles, chapters, or sections are to the titles, chapters, and sections of this Code unless otherwise specified.
(2) If the provisions of different chapters conflict with or contravene each other, the provisions of each chapter shall prevail as to all matters and questions growing out of the subject matter of such chapter.
(3) If conflicting provisions be found in different sections of the same chapter the provisions of the section which is last in numerical order shall prevail unless such construction is inconsistent with the meaning of such chapter.