Spokane7
26°
April 9, 2009
Public can voice concerns about smoking ban
The Spokane Park Board has banned smoking in city parks. Sort of.
It might change its mind today after a public hearing. But don’t count on it.
If the smoking ban holds, a person who lights up in a city park might get the evil eye, or maybe a good talking-to from someone who disapproves. But there won’t be any tickets or fines.
The Park Board was asked last month by the Spokane Health District and Teens Against Smoking to ban smoking in Riverfront Park. The board scheduled a hearing, which was sparsely attended, where supporters from those two groups said a ban would send a healthy message to the community. One opponent – Bill Burke, who produces the annual food festival Pig Out in the Park – argued it would be unenforceable, according to parks spokeswoman Nancy Goodspeed.
The board generally sided with a smoking ban, but thought it would probably be appropriate to phase in for all city parks. Last week, at a special 7 a.m. meeting to sign the contracts for two park bond projects, talk of the smoking ban came up again even though it wasn’t on the agenda.
The board members all agreed, and voted unanimously for an all-park smoking ban – start time and phase-in to be worked out later. On Friday, the City Parks and Recreation Department sent out a news release announcing the ban.
Then at least one board member questioned whether the panel had actually taken a final vote on the ban and followed the appropriate process. Other board members were certain that they had voted, definitively and properly, to ban smoking.
The Park Board’s attorney, Pat Dalton, was consulted, Goodspeed said, and he assured the board that even though the policy wasn’t on the agenda for the meeting at which it was adopted, it was OK because it passed in an open session.
Wednesday morning city Parks and Recreation reiterated the board had approved a smoking ban. Wednesday afternoon, the Park Board was officially “taking a step back” and reconsidering the ban.
Although the process passed muster, Park Board members began having doubts that they’d given the public enough opportunity to address the topic, Goodspeed said Thursday. They scheduled a meeting for 1 p.m. next Thursday, to hear public testimony and take “a final vote.”
Or more accurately, a final, final vote.
Because the board has already voted to make the parks “tobacco-free,” it’s unclear what opponents might say next Thursday that would make the board reverse the ban.
“That is the issue I don’t have an answer for,” Goodspeed said.
Barring a significant change of heart by a majority of the board, the ban would start first at Riverfront Park, at some undetermined date.
It would then move to other city parks some time later, and finally, to the municipal golf courses.
The tobacco ban is a policy, not an ordinance, so it doesn’t need approval by the City Council, Goodspeed said. Because of that, there will be no fine or jail time attached to lighting up in a park. The department will post “no smoking” signs – after it finds some money, either in its budget or from a benefactor – and will rely on peer pressure and “friendly reminders” to enforce the ban.
Staff writer Jim Camden can be reached at (509) 459-5461 or jimc@spokesman.com.
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kdmas58 on April 09 at 9:25 a.m.
A ban isn’t going to do anything. Those that want to smoke, will, in defiance, even with dirty looks. I’ve heard all the blah blah blah about rights and the park has plenty of fresh air to breath. But when you’re trying to enjoy something in a park such as a concert and some bonehead lights up a cigarette, you can’t smell the fresh air, only the stench. I would like to see the ban go further, but I know it won’t, so why bother.
mychevytruck on April 09 at 9:49 a.m.
Great what is next can’t BBQ because of the smoke or maybe because it is meat, maybe can’t drink because that right needs to be taken from us too wake up people our rights are slowly being taken from us maybe you will get the picture when it is something you like or do kden, me personally think that if you ban one thing from parks then do away with all drinks (broken glass or crushed can cuts hurt like @#%*, the smell of BBQ make my lungs hurt but if I don’t like it I can go home I don’t think I should kill it for everyone else!!!!!
Megan_B on April 09 at 1:54 p.m.
No fines? Good luck stopping people. I go to INDOOR concerts and there are still plenty of people smoking both cigarettes and OTHER substances. Rules don’t do much good without a little bit of enforcement.
BarleyWheets on May 24 at 8:51 p.m.
I think its stupid and wrong to ban smoking in the public parks.
BAN dogs they sink & poop & their owners don’t clean it up, the owners let them get into other people stuff or jump on people. Ban women that wear that gad awful sink called perfume that burns your eyes & makes your nose run. Ban people that refuse to use soap & water regularly & you can smell them a block away. Ban people that use bad language in public and around children. Ban public BBQ they cause a great deal more smoke. Hey lets BAN cars to ..they are very pollutent.
You see if you start banning people rights you’ll eventually have NO rights.. It just not right.. do NOT ban smoking from parks. Smokers pay there hard earn tax dollars on those parks too & should have the right to use them. Not just the self righteous nonsmokers.