Ventura Municipal Code Ch. 1.05 Construction and Effect of Code

This code shall be known as the “San Buenaventura Municipal Code.”

A. Citing in Prosecutions. In any prosecution for the violations of any provision of this code, it shall be sufficient to refer to the code as the “San Buenaventura Municipal Code.”

B. Amendatory Ordinances. Any ordinance added to, amending or repealing this code may be designated as an addition or amendment to, or repeal of, the “San Buenaventura Municipal Code.” (Code 1971, § 1)

The provisions of this code, insofar as they are substantially the same as existing provisions relating to the same subject matter, shall be construed as restatements and continuations thereof and not as new enactments. (Code 1971, § 2)

Prosecutions for violations of provisions of this code which occurred prior to the effective date of any amendment or repeal of such provision shall not be affected by the adoption of such amendment or by repeal of any such provision.

A. Licenses and Penalties. Neither the adoption of this code nor its repeal of any ordinance shall be construed as a waiver of any license or penalty due and unpaid under such ordinance at the effective date of the code; nor shall such adoption or repeal be construed as affecting any provision of such ordinance relating to the collection of any such license or penalty or the penal provisions applicable to the violation thereof.

B. Bonds and Deposits. Neither the adoption of this code nor its repeal of any ordinance shall affect the validity of any bond or cash deposit required to be posted, filed or deposited pursuant to such ordinance; and all rights and obligations thereunder shall continue in full force and effect. (Code 1971, § 3)

This code shall not affect deposits or other matters of record which refer to, or are otherwise connected with, ordinances which are therein specially designated by number or otherwise and which are included in the code; but such references shall be construed to apply to the corresponding provisions of the code. (Code 1971, § 4)

All ordinances or portions thereof in conflict with this code are hereby repealed. (Code 1971, § 5)

The provisions of this code and all proceedings under it are to be construed to effect its object and to promote justice. (Code 1971, § 6)

Title, division, chapter, article and section headings contained herein shall not govern, limit, modify or affect the scope, meaning or intent of the provisions of this code. (Code 1971, § 7)

This code shall refer only to the omission or commission of acts within the territorial limits of the city of San Buenaventura and that territory outside of the city over which the city has jurisdiction or control by virtue of the Constitution, or any law, or by reason of ownership or control of property.

A. Local Signification. All references in this code to places, acts, persons or things shall be construed to mean that the same are applicable to this city, whether the city is mentioned in each particular section or not. (Code 1971, § 8)

The use of the title of any officer, employee, office, board, commission or ordinance shall mean such officer, employee, office, board, commission or ordinance of the city of San Buenaventura, unless otherwise designated. (Code 1971, § 9)

The singular number includes the plural, and the plural includes the singular. Any gender includes the other genders. Words used in the present tense include the past and future tenses; and vice versa. (Code 1971, § 11)

If any section, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this code is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the code. The council would have adopted this code and each section, sentence, clause, phrase and portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, sentences, clauses, phrases or portions be invalid or unconstitutional. (Code 1971, § 12)

The council recognizes and approves the preferred place given in our scheme of government to the great, indispensable democratic freedoms and liberties secured by the United States Constitution and the California Constitution, and that these liberties and freedoms have a sanctity and sanction not permitting dubious intrusions. The council has a zealous solicitude for rights falling within these constitutional guarantees. It is neither the express nor the implied intent of the council to permit or allow any city officials to exercise any discretionary power granted to them by this code so as to directly or indirectly impose a censorship or previous restraint upon these, our most revered liberties and freedoms. (Code 1971, § 12.1)

The provisions of this code shall be construed so as to give them effect and to avoid unconstitutionality, wherever possible. No provision of this code shall be construed by any court or person as being broad enough to permit or condone any direct or indirect censorship or previous restraint upon any constitutional right or freedom nor shall they be construed as broad enough to permit any other improper application. (Code 1971, § 12.2)