Appointees of the said offices, when appointed and qualified, as required by law, shall, in the absence of the principal officer in the respective offices or departments to which the deputy city engineer is appointed, or at the request of the principal officer, do and perform any and all acts necessary to the office, for and on behalf of the principal officer, which principal officer might, could, would or should do and perform, and sign all documents in the name of his principal by himself as deputy, and when the deputy so acts in the place and stead of the principal officer, the acts so done and performed shall have a like force and effect as if same had been done and performed by the principal officer. (Prior code § 1.52.020)