Shelbyville ordinance committee to address smoking

Rob Dowdy, Shelbyville News Staff Writer

Shelbyville Common Council President Jeff Sponsel said the ordinance committee will begin the process of drafting a city smoking ordinance at Wednesday’s meeting.

The ordinance committee has been assessing the possibility of a smoking ban since a well-attended public forum on the issue took place Feb. 1 at Shelbyville Middle School.

“I think by the end of Wednesday’s meeting, we’ll kind of know what we want to do,” Sponsel said.

Sponsel said the ordinance committee, which also consists of council members Kim Owens and Rob Nolley, has been gathering ordinances from other cities since the smoking forum, anticipating the drafting of a smoking ordinance in Shelbyville.

“We’re watching how it goes in other places and what kind of discussion is taking place,” Sponsel said.

He said the committee hopes to “borrow” some of the best parts of the ordinances while also crafting the document to fit Shelbyville.

“We’re trying to treat Shelbyville like the unique community it is,” Sponsel said.

Sponsel said the committee has not been “dragging its feet” on the issue, but instead cautiously planning each step it takes.

“This is a careful maneuver to make sure we get it right,” Sponsel said.

The council held the smoking forum earlier this month to determine residents’ feelings on the issue.

“I was real proud of the community and the way they handled themselves,” Sponsel said.

He said city residents who want to provide input on the potential smoking ordinance continue to be “surprisingly vocal about wanting it.”

Sponsel said public attendance at Wednesday’s meeting would be “wonderful” and would help the committee draft an ordinance that fits what the public wants.

“This is everyone’s chance to pick and choose what it ought to say,” he said.

The Shelbyville Common Council will look over the ordinance after is drafted, which Sponsel said could be by April 1. After that, it’ll be ready for first reading.

“Once we vote on it, it’s kind of late to talk about,” Sponsel said.