Kane eateries often smoke-free

October 25, 2006
By William Presecky, Tribune staff reporter

Even without a smoking ban, most of Kane County's newest restaurants are opting to be smoke-free, county health officials were told Tuesday.

All but one of the 15 eating establishments in Kane that were licensed for the first time in September are totally smoke-free, said Fred Carlson, director of environmental health.

In his monthly report to the County Board's Public Health Committee, Carlson said more restaurant owners and operators feel that being smoke-free is in everyone's interest.

"We now have well over 400 restaurants in the county that [by choice] are smoke-free," Carlson said.

The idea of a mandatory countywide ban is gaining ground however.

Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay has set May 1 as a common target date for government entities throughout the county to establish some type of common smoking ban.

McConnaughay's coordination effort comes as Batavia, Elgin, Geneva and St. Charles move to adopt smoking bans.

At an Oct. 16 meeting, officials from nearly a dozen municipalities and townships expressed a commitment "to find as much common ground as possible," said Paul Kuehnert, the Kane Health Department's director of prevention services.

Kuehnert said the governments over the next several months will try to balance the dangers of second-hand smoke with the impact a ban would have on businesses.

The Health Department, meanwhile, plans to step up its education effort and will declare February second-hand smoke awareness month in the county, Kuehnert said.
bpresecky@tribune.com
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Kane leaders to eye smoking ban

September 06, 2006
By Lisa Smith, Daily Herald Staff Writer
Municipal leaders from across Kane County could meet this month to discuss enacting a regional smoking ban.

Kane County Board chairman Karen McConnaughay said Wednesday she plans to mail a letter to city and village officials this week inviting them to a county-led roundtable discussion of the issue.

"It's not my intention to dictate a proposed ordinance," said McConnaughay, a St. Charles Republican. "To be effective, there needs to be a cooperative regional approach."

In Cook County, smoking will be banned in all public places starting in March unless municipalities there enact their own ordinances specifically allowing smoking.

More than 20 Illinois municipalities have banned smoking and bans are being considered in Naperville, Mount Prospect, and Elgin. Officials in St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia recently agreed to discuss enacting a Tri-Cities smoking ban.
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Smoking decision for all of Tri-Cities

August 30, 2006
By Rupa Shenoy Daily Herald Staff Writer

At its third and final meeting, the Geneva Smoking Task Force — the only such group in Kane County — came to a consensus for the first time: to do something, and to do it in cooperation with the rest of the Tri-Cities.

In contrast to its last meeting, which was confrontational and ended in a stalemate between forces for and against a smoking ban, an air of consensus reigned Tuesday.

As they sat in front of about 40 people — far more than the two- or three-person audiences of previous meetings — they agreed that some sort of ban was necessary but that it should be installed over the largest region possible.

“I understand that there will be (an economic) impact. But we do have a responsibility to the community. I think we have to do something,” said George Roumeliotis, of Mill Race Inn.

Inspired by the first appearance of Batavia and St. Charles officials at the meetings, task force members agreed to write up their various and conflicting ideas and present them to those city governments, in the hopes that an ordinance will soon be put on their agendas.

“I’m not here to tell you we are on board with you,” said 2nd Ward St. Charles Alderman Betsy Penny. But, “if you get this to our city administrator, it can be on our agenda in the next two months.”

Both Penny and 7th Ward Batavia Alderman Nancy Vance told the task force that, informally, their city councils were in favor of a ban.

Before the task force reached its final conclusion, members seemed to compromise on an option that was equally unsatisfactory to all: to prohibit all new restaurants from allowing smoking.

Over time, as existing restaurants close and are replaced, the ban will become universal, said Steve Patterson, a citizen task force member who crafted the proposal.

“I’m in favor of a ban. This option even makes me unhappy,” he said.

“That might be a good sign,” said 3rd Ward Alderman Ray Pawlak, chair of the task force. “If everybody’s miserable, it might work. That means it’s a compromise.”

Patterson also suggested that Geneva lobby the state and county for regional bans.

Other proposed compromises between the pro- and anti-smoking ban forces included bans that exempt bars or phasing in bans so that businesses have a chance to react. Members suggested signs that declare if an establishment allows smoking, postings of air quality within restaurants and tax breaks for businesses with ventilators.

The last option repeatedly caused arguments about the effectiveness of ventilators.

Some of the ideas would require the city to hire new staff or buy equipment, Assistant City Administrator Mary McKittrick reminded the group. Natalie Kesman, a citizen member of the task force, protested that many of the ideas were too complicated to be realistically put in practice.

“It has to be simple,” she said.
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August 24, 2005
By Steve Lord
staff writer

GENEVA — The Kane County Board is likely to consider a ban on smoking in public places.

But not right away.

That was the word Tuesday from two County Board leaders after members of the board's Public Health Committee discussed the possibility of a local ban, made possible by a new state law signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich Aug. 11.

"Absolutely, we have to consider it," said board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, R-St. Charles. "When, I can't tell you. But we will put it on our to-do list."

Board member Gerry Jones, D-Aurora, Public Health Committee chairman, agreed he would like to see the discussion, "but not right now."

"It's definitely something we should consider and put before the board," he said.

The law signed by Blagojevich tightens the Clean Indoor Act Air of 1988.
Fred Carlson, Kane Health Department environmental health director, said local agencies actually have had the ability to enact their own local non-smoking ordinances since that time.

But only 28 jurisdictions across the state have such ordinances. The changes in the act should make it easier for local jurisdictions to enact their own ordinances, even though the state law stops short of a state mandate.

Carlson and Connie Brooks of the Health Department said the Health Department already encourages restaurants to go completely smoke-free.

In Kane County, 325 restaurants are smoke free, and they all are listed by city on the Health Department's Web site, at kanehealth.com

Still, the list is filled largely with coffee shops, fast-food and smaller sit-down restaurants. Many of the bigger restaurants are not on the list.

"We see more and more on the list every day, so we think the base for this is in place," Carlson said.

Both McConnaughay and Jones said specifics need to be studied before Kane County can consider a smoking ban for unincorporated public facilities.

"There are some which would suggest it would be a hardship to running a profitable business," McConnaughay said.

"People's personal rights are always a concern, too," Jones said.