Mountain Brook City Council discusses proposed smoke free ordinance
The Mountain Brook City Council on Monday night discussed at length, but did not take any formal action on, a proposed ordinance that would expand the city’s current regulations on smoking. The ordinance, proposed by Dr. Kevin Alexander, speaking for a group of professionals who have been working on the proposal, would prohibit smoking in all workplaces and public places.
Speaking on behalf of the proposed ordinance, Alexander pointed out that Mountain Brook’s neighboring cities had recently enacted stricter ordinances in regard to smoking in businesses and public places.
“There is no safe level of second-hand smoke exposure,” said Alexander. “100 percent smoke-free is the only way.”
The proposed ordinance, based on a model ordinance, would prohibit smoking at all businesses including bars, city owned or managed businesses, in enclosed public spaces and at some outdoor public places, to name a few.
Mountain Brook’s current SmokeFree Air Ordinance, enacted in 2005, regulates smoking to an extent, but includes exemptions such as:
- Allowing smoking in designated rooms in hotels.
- Allowing smoking in bars.
- Allowing smoking in retail tobacco stores.
- Allowing smoking in private functions in public places and in private clubs.
- Allows for any business establishment to designate smoking areas.
The current ordinance also does not prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in public places and workplaces.
Though the council said it was in favor of strengthening the city’s ordinance, the consensus was that it needed to spend some more time looking it over, speaking with the city’s bar owners and residents. Councilman Jack Carl said he believed the current ordinance should be changed to include regulations regarding e-cigarettes but was opposed to any laws that would be difficult to legally enforce.
“We need to take it real slow,” said Carl, “before we go about telling people what they can and can’t do.”
The council also discussed the proposed Cell Phone free zone that would prohibit the use of cellphones while operating a motor vehicle in school zones between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., and then again between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Cellphone use would only be prohibited while cars in and around carpool lines are in motion.
Findings from a recent study conducted to help draft the ordinance measured the instances where drivers at each of the city’s schools were using phones and how they were using them. The study found that the device use rate at Mountain Brook High School, Brookwood Forest Elementary, Cherokee Bend, Crestline and Mountain Brook Elementary was higher than the national average. On Monday night, the council agreed to have City Attorney Whit Colvin review the ordinance and have it ready for a vote at its next meeting.
On July 11, the council also:
- Approved the budgeted payment from the General Fund of $300,000 into the city’s retiree medical insurance Trust for investment.
- Approved the conditional service use application for a tutoring provider at 81 Church Street in Crestline Corners.
- Authorized the extension of the cable franchise agreement between the City and Marcus Cable of Alabama, L.P. (Charter Communications) under the same terms and conditions until July 21, 2018.
- Held a public hearing on and then approved an ordinance amending Articles I, X, XI, XII of the City Code regarding office uses and medical clinics.
The next regular meeting of the city council will be held July 25 at 7 p.m. at 56 Church Street.