Athens City Code

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

Generally. Words and phrases shall be construed in their plain, ordinary and usual sense, except that technical words and phrases having a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be understood according to their technical import.

City. The term "city" means the City of Athens, Tennessee, and shall extend to and include its several officers, agents and employees.

City council. The term "city council" means the governing body of the City of Athens, Tennessee.

Code and this Code. The terms "Code" and "this Code" mean the Code of Ordinances of the City of Athens, Tennessee, as designated in ACC 1-1.

County. The term "county" means McMinn County, Tennessee.

May. The term "may" means the act referred to is permissive.

Month. The term "month" means a calendar month.

Oath. The term "oath" includes 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."

Ordinance. The term "ordinance" means a legislative act of the city council of a general and permanent nature.

Owner. The term "owner," when applied to a building or land, includes 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. The term "person" extends and is applied to associations, clubs, limited liability companies, societies, firms, partnerships and bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals.

Personal property. The term "personal property" includes every species of property except real property.

Property. The term "property" includes real, personal and mixed property.

Public place. The term "public place" means any place subject to the primary control of any public agency, including, but not limited to, any park, street, public way, cemetery, schoolyard or open space adjacent thereto and any lake or stream.

Real property. The term "real property" includes lands, tenements and hereditaments.

Resolution. The term "resolution" means a legislative act of the city council of a special or temporary character.

Shall. The term "shall" means the act referred to is mandatory.

Sidewalk. The term "sidewalk" means the portion of the street between the curblines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for use of pedestrians.

State. The term "state" means the State of Tennessee.

Street. The term "street" means and includes streets, avenues, boulevards, roads, highways, alleys, lanes, viaducts and all other public ways in the city.

T.C.A. The abbreviation "T.C.A." means the Tennessee Code Annotated, as now or hereafter amended.

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

Year. The term "year" means a calendar year unless otherwise expressed, and the term "year" alone is equivalent to the expression "Year of Our Lord."