Traci Moyer, Daily Reporter staff writer

A plea on the behalf of restaurant owner Ann Tomey sparked a debate by the city council Thursday night over the new smoking ordinance.

Tomey approached the council saying she knows it is tired of seeing her and she is tired of coming to meetings, but she wanted the council to know one thing: The new ban on smoking in public is destroying her business.

“This might be the last thing I ask you to do, but talk to the workers,” Tomey said.

She then read a letter from a waitress at her downtown restaurant. The letter said the waitress cannot survive on the income she makes without tips due the lack of business she blamed on the new ordinance. Tomey said many people have been affected by the smoking ban and she had asked them to come to the meeting, but they didn’t show up.

The council listened, but members didn’t budge when they were again asked to change the law.

There was no sign of the tears that would later cause Tomey to leave the meeting when she told the council that this year she has made only $28,000 from her business, or about $500 to $600 of business daily. Since the smoking ordinance took effect March 1, she has had days where she only makes $125 from her business before expenses.

She said if she read the ordinance correctly, there can be no burning of any substance in public restaurants, but Cracker Barrel was still being allowed to burn a fire in its fireplace, she pointed out. Tomey said if the council was going to pass such a strict ordinance, it should be enforced fairly.

“I probably won’t be one of the mom-and-pop business any longer – there are only two of us anyway,” she said. “I don’t want to move to Chicago to live in my son’s basement.”

Tomey then rushed from the podium to put on her coat and leave the meeting.

Tom Lake, a Hancock County resident and business owner who is running for county commissioner, told the council the ordinance was wrong for the community.

Council member Marilyn Levering told Lake that 70 percent to 75 percent of the residents of Greenfield don’t smoke.

Lake agreed.

“I don’t smoke, but you took my choice away,” he said.

Councilman Dick Pasco told Lake that if he wanted something from the council he should not call elected officials and insult them and hang up on them. Lake was stunned by that remark and said he had never insulted Pasco or acted rudely.

Pasco abruptly ended the discussion and told Lake he would not debate with him.

Resident John Priore told the council it should give Greenfield businesses the same opportunity Indianapolis and Carmel have to opt to become an 18-or-older establishment.

“You should give the owner at least the choice,” he said. “Ours (ordinance) has gone a little too far.”

Levering asked Priore about non-smoker rights if the ordinance was lifted.

He told her that she was confusing what she thought was a right.

The city council conducted no further discussion on the smoking ordinance, but said it will review an alternative smoking ordinance the Business Coalition for Citizens Rights had presented to the board in 30 to 60 days.

Levering and Pasco refused to comment after the meeting.

Councilman J.D. Fortner said he has one question for Tomey and the coalition.

“Where are all these people,” he said after the meeting. “The only people I hear from are her (Tomey), Tom Lake and (John) Munden (head of the business coalition).”

Fortner said he voted with the majority of what the residents of Greenfield told him they wanted, but he has not heard or seen a supporting number of people behind the businesses or those against the ordinance. He said while Tomey talks of people hurt by the ordinance the information is always second- or third-hand.

“Like the Business Coalition,” he said. “Where’s the list of the people in the coalition? I don’t see it.”

Fortner said he has taken the time to talk to local business owners.

“Everyone I talked to is pleased with it,” he said.
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