City Notebook: Ordinance will help enforcement of smoking ban
BY MATTHEW OLSON
A proposed city ordinance may clear the air about how Kenosha Police will enforce the statewide smoking ban.
The Public Safety and Welfare Committee Monday unanimously recommended approving a proposed ordinance from Alderman Rocco LaMacchia on that would, in effect, adopt the state’s standards in prohibiting smoking and implementing the associated penalties.
The statewide ban, which went into effect July 5, prohibits smoking in all indoor workplaces in Wisconsin. People cited for smoking indoors can face a fine from $100 to $250, and owners of the business where a violation occurred can be fined $100.
Under the state law, violations would be considered a state charge and would be forwarded to the district attorney’s office.
Kenosha Police Sgt. Hugh Rafferty said only one ban violation has been forwarded to the DA’s office in Kenosha so far. The potential violation was recorded at Carl and Doug’s Bar, 2405 63rd St., on July 20.
Rafferty said the department has received a fair number of complaints regarding possible violations.
LaMacchia said the proposed ordinance would allow police to forward the charges to the city’s municipal court instead and would not require police to confiscate materials, such as lighters, as evidence.
“This makes a police officer’s job easier,” LaMacchia said.
Kenosha Police Chief John Morrissey said he supports LaMacchia’s ordinance.
The proposed ordinance will go to the City Council next month for approval.
Taking it outside
The summer wave of businesses seeking outdoor extensions in the wake of the smoking ban also continued on Monday.
The Licensing and Permit Committee recommended approving outdoor extensions for Spanky’s, 2325 52nd St., and Hattrix, 2425 60th St.
An outdoor extension is an enclosed area outside of the main building where smoking is allowed. The area is also considered a part of the building, which allows patrons to bring their drinks with them.
There are 52 business that have that designation, 19 of which have been obtained in the last four months. These applications will require City Council approval.
Giving notice
Kenosha aldermen also supported a measure that would give them better notice as to when meetings are scheduled.
The Public Works and Public Safety and Welfare committees supported a pair of proposals from Alderman G. John Ruffalo that would require aldermen be given 72 hours notice, through e-mail and through their city mailboxes, of any scheduled meetings.
Ruffalo said some aldermen have not received notice of meetings that affect their districts in recent months, and he hoped these measures would give a clearer direction about making sure aldermen were informed.
“Some aldermen have run into different issues with different departments,” Ruffalo said.
These measures will also go to the City Council next month.
Comments:
You are viewing 5 of 33 comments on this topic.
Click here to see all.
Good.
By The New Geor
Maybe clarifying the enforcement of the smoking ban will also take care of some of the patron/owner threats of "smoking anyways because they won't do anything" to them. Some owners have stated they would take up collections to cover the daily fine so they could smoke. Childish in nature, these types of comments show the business owners have no regards for the law. And it needs to be cleared up before winter hits and the buttwarmers try to hang out doorways smoking and letting the smoke (and cold) roll inside.
smoking
By robster
cowboys and indians, they smoked and no one was hurt buy it. becouse there was a thing called freedom and rights in wich we no longer have. becouse of the rich people,who dont like it, and have the money to stop it to much power in the wrong hands god bless us all
Facts
By son-of-a-gun
Do you have the statistics on how many cowboys and indians actually died of cancer and/or smoking related complications? Don't think you can say no one was hurt back then unless you have the facts. BTW, LOVING smoke free Wisconsin. Smell that? It's not smoke!!
Smoking ban
By roonnivw
This is the stupidish most childish thing that that I have heard of. The chief of police and ever police officer has taken an oath to enforce the laws as written, they do not have the right to interpret the laws that is the job of the of the courts. This is another example of buck passing. It seems to me that the police department has a tavern detail the checks for underage drinking, liquor license violation etc. it seems they could observe smoking violations at the same time. If joint service dispatch would just dispatch a sqd. when avaliable (emergency calls come first) instead of trying to solve the the problem themself. With all these out side araes coming on I thought there was suppose to be no smoking with in 25ft. of the building entrance.
Fact Is
By Bordered
Feel that? Those were your personal rights!! Ridiculous..woohoo.. really won one for America there.. hey why don't we start focusing on things that need to be controlled and stop messing with personal rights.. oh ya.. that would be difficult..so let's slowly start taking away personal choices...ya..so you know what.. I'm not big on smoke but I'm pretty P.O.'d that the Govt is trying to tell me where and what.
Click here to see all comments.
