Rob Dowdy, Shelbyville News Staff Writer
The winds of change continue to blow in Shelbyville as the city moves closer to a smoking ban in public places.
A full audience at the Shelbyville Common Council meeting Monday evening witnessed the council unanimously pass the first reading of a city smoking ordinance. Council member Tamara Sullivan was absent for the 6-0 vote.
Members of the audience were given two minutes to voice opinions on the ordinance, which would ban smoking in most public places, before the council voted on the measure.
Many of those at the meeting were members of some of the city’s private clubs, such as the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars, and were adamantly against the ordinance, even though private clubs would be exempt.
“We should be able to smoke whether we want to or not,” said Bob Tucker, member of the American Legion.
The public smoking ban would exclude bars, private residences, private vehicles, hotel and motel rooms designated as smoking rooms, private clubs and self-contained bar areas.
City attorney Brett Haacker said those businesses seeking an exemption would have to fill out an exemption form with the city and would not be able to alternate between exemptions.
Members of private clubs who spoke at the meeting stated that by choosing to remain a private club, they would not be allowed to hold social functions, such as “bingo night,” which are open to the public. Paul Veneri, commander of the local American Legion, said the club’s public events bring in funds that allow the legion to donate thousands of dollars each year to several charities. Preventing patrons from smoking, he said, would stifle their earning power.
Even those in favor of a public smoking ban were dissatisfied with the ordinance crafted by the city.
“Anything less than a comprehensive ordinance doesn’t protect everyone who needs to be protected,” said Kim Herndon, executive director of Shelby County Drug-free Coalition and Smoke-free Shelby County.
Herndon said the ordinance gives the community “a false sense of security” by putting an ordinance in place that doesn’t prevent secondhand smoke from reaching workers and patrons of restaurants.
“There’s no way you can keep that smoke in that room,” Herndon said, referring to the self-contained bar area made exempt in the ordinance.
Council member Jeff Sponsel, who — along with council members Kim Owens and Rob Nolley — is on the ordinance committee, said “a total ban would benefit the public more than what we’ve done,” but added that a compromise had to be reached with the smoking residents of the city.
“If we would have went with a total ban, the middle school wouldn’t have been big enough,” Sponsel said, referring to the public forum held at Shelbyville Middle School on Feb. 1 to discuss the smoking ordinance.
“I think we’ve essentially crafted an ordinance that the public can deal with,” Sponsel said.
Council member Dick Fero, a member of the American Legion, said he was skeptical when the council first discussed the smoking ordinance, but said he changed his mind after the public forum and continued talks with people in the community.
“I have to listen to what the people in my district have to say,” Fero said, adding, “I don’t think anyone objects to taking two hours to eat a meal and not smoke.”
The second reading of the ordinance will take place during the April 17 council meeting. If the measure is passed, the ordinance will take effect Aug. 1.
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