Agenda Summary
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Amending Section 1-4 of the Code of Ordinance to add definitions for relationship status and intimate personal relationship.
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Official Text
That the Code of Ordinances be amended by making the changes noted within.
PART II
CODE OF ORDINANCES
Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 1-4. Definitions and rules of construction.
In the construction of this Code and of all ordinances enacted, the following interpretations shall be observed unless such construction or interpretation shall be manifestly inconsistent with the evident intent of the city council or the qualified voters, or repugnant to the context or to the evident purport of any ordinance:
Board of aldermen. The words "board of aldermen" shall mean the board of aldermen of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts.
Editor's note(s)-Ord. No. 2019-01 , adopted Jan. 24, 2019, pursuant to C355, Acts of 2018, amended the entire Code of Ordinances as follows: change the name of the "Board of Aldermen" to the "City Council", and "Aldermen" to "Councilor" and variants thereof.
Charter. The words "Charter," "City Charter" or "the Charter" shall be deemed to mean and refer to the Charter of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, being Chapter 240 of the Acts of 1899 as amended.
City. The words "the city" shall mean the City of Somerville, in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Code. Unless clearly indicated otherwise, the term "Code" or "this Code" shall mean the Code of Ordinances of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts as cited in section 1-1.
Commonwealth. The terms "commonwealth" or "state" shall mean the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Computation of time. The time in which an act is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first and including the last day and if the last day is a Sunday or a legal holiday that shall be excluded.
County. The word "county" shall mean the County of Middlesex, Massachusetts.
Delegation of authority. Whenever a provision appears requiring the head of a department or other officer of the city to do some act or perform some duty, or granting some right to him or her as such official, it shall be construed to authorize such department head or officer to designate, delegate and authorize subordinates to do the required act or perform the required duty, or it shall grant to them such right, unless the terms of the provisions designate otherwise.
Gender. A word importing the masculine gender only shall extend and be applied to females and to trusts, associations, firms, partnerships and corporations as well as to males.
Editor's note(s)-Ord. No. 1999-6, § 1, adopted Jan. 27, 2001 amended the entire Code of Ordinances to implement gender neutral language by replacing the words "he", "him", and "his" as they appear in the Code with "he or she", "him or her", and "his or her", respectively.
General laws. The words "General Laws" shall mean the Massachusetts General Laws annotated as amended.
Joint authority. Words purporting to give a joint authority to three or more officers or other persons shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such officers or persons.
Somerville, Massachusetts, Code of Ordinances Created: 2021-09-23 14:27:18 [EST] (Supp. No. 22)
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Mayor. The word "mayor" shall mean the mayor of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts. M.G.L.A. "M.G.L.A." shall mean Massachusetts General Laws annotated as amended.
Month. The word "month" shall mean a calendar month.
Number. Words importing the singular shall include the plural and words importing the plural shall include the singular.
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. The word "person" shall include a corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization or any other group acting as a unit, as well as a natural person.
Preceding, following. The words "preceding" and "following" mean next before and next after, respectively.
Public grounds. The words "public grounds" shall include the parks and all public lands owned by the city, and those parts of public places which do not form travelled parts of streets or highways.
Relationship status. The words “relationship status” mean the actual or perceived involvement or uninvolvement of an individual in an intimate personal relationship or relationships. It includes an individual’s actual or perceived affinity, or lack thereof, for any given type of intimate personal relationship, regardless of whether the individual is currently in any intimate personal relationship(s).
Intimate personal relationship. The words “intimate personal relationship” shall include any interpersonal relationship between two or more adult individuals that involves romantic, physical, or emotional intimacy. This includes multi-partner/multi-parent families and relationships, step families, multi-generational households, and consensual sexual relationships, including relationships involving consensual non-monogamy.
Statute references. Whenever reference is made to the general laws this shall mean the Massachusetts General Laws annotated and may be cited as M.G.L.A.
Tenant or occupant. 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.
Tense. Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
Ways, streets, highways. The words "ways," "streets" and "highways" shall be construed as including boulevards, avenues, courts, lanes, alleys, squares, places and sidewalks, and each of these words includes every other of them.
Writing or written. The words "writing" or "written" shall include printing.
(Code 1963, § 1-6)
State law reference(s)-Rules for construction of statutes, M.G.L.A. c. 4, § 6.