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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20031210 work session smokingCOUNCIL WORK SESSION DECEMBER 10, 2003 CALL TO ORDER 1 The Council work session of December 10, 2003, was convened at 5:30 P.M. by Mayor John Landwehr. ATTENDANCE The following Council Members were present: Present: Angle, Berry, Ferguson, Gordon, Groner, Olsen, Viessman, Vogel, and Weber Absent: Klindt A quorum was present. DISCUSSION City Counselor Nathan Nickolaus distributed and reviewed a summary of all outstanding Clean Air bills that have been proposed by City Council members. He then answered several questions from Council members clarifying the document that he had drafted. Several questions were also asked of prospective bill sponsors clarifying their individual bills Mayor Landwehr asked for comments from the three Council members who had requested the special workshop. Councilmen Angle, Berry, Ferguson and Groner commented on their reasons for wanting to have the meeting. Mayor Landwehr then asked all the bill sponsors to put forward their reasoning for proposing their individual bills. Councilmen Berry, Groner, Olsen and Angle explained their reasoning for proposing their bills. Councilman Groner encouraged Council members to reach a consensus at the meeting to make Monday, December 15, easier on everyone. City Administrator Rich Mays recommended Council members concentrate on the more important complicated issues first and reasoned that the simpler and easier items would fall into place should the Council agree on the more complicated issues. Councilman Bob Weber suggested the Council form a task force or committee made up of opponents and proponents to recommend a solution to the City Council on the Clean Air bills. A discussion ensued regarding the viability of forming such a committee with just three Council members favoring that direction. A lengthy discussion also ensued regarding the viability of the State legislature taking action on this issue. Several straw polls were taken asking Council members how they felt about where they would favor banning smoking, how many Council members would be in favor or an COUNCIL WORK SESSION DECEMBER 10, 2003 2 ordinance banning smoking in restaurants only and exempting pool halls, bars and private clubs, and which of the five proposed ordinances Council members favored the most. Since "Angle 2" seemed to have the most consensus, discussion centered on that bill's provisions. A lengthy discussion ensued regarding definition of a bar and restaurant and the merits of "Angle 2." It was a consensus of the Council that an "Angle 3" bill be drafted by the City Counselor and submitted at Friday's Brown Bag meeting based on the "Angle 2" bill and the previous discussion and recommendations regarding those provisions. ADJOURN MENT The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:05 p.m.