Schaumburg Update
From: Garnet Dawn To: Daily Herald (Letters to the Editor) Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 1:43 PM Subject: Letter to the Editor: Eat, drink and shop, but don’t smoke - Schaumburg, IL RE: Eat, drink and shop, but don’t smoke; Schaumburg poised to enact smoking ban Schaumburg is like Vernon Hills, Deerfield, Skokie, Gurnee and dozens of other suburbs exploding with shopping malls. Every town has it's own shopping areas now. The social commodities becoming increasingly rare are unique restaurants and retail businesses. That is why so many people are shopping on the internet now. In spite of the exploding populations in the Chicagoland suburbs, there are not enough residents to patronize all the shopping locations now available. Most shopping malls now offer carbon copies of what every other shopping mall offers. Chain grocery stores, drug stores and department stores have become repetitious in their efforts to only offer high turnover and large volume items for purchase. In order to find anything slightly original or special, chain store retailers are no long the places to frequent. If Schaumburg, like Vernon Hills, wants to kill its unique drawing powers by crippling their hospitality venues, they (like other IL communities, intruding upon personal life style choices) will see a negative impact over the next several years. All these eager-to-ban-smoking communities are so confident that they can control public behavior. I predict that the smoking banned communities will have half empty malls, full of closed businesses, in five years. Similar results have already become news headlines in other states and closed shopping malls will also be the result in Illinois. When small businesses account for about two-thirds of our country's economic growth and new jobs, I simply cannot comprehend local governments instituting ordinances which will ultimately hurt small business owners. Let communities, claiming doubtful health benefits, eliminate the 20+ per cent of smoking consumers and reap the benefits. There are enough smokers left in our state who still have spines and are angered by towns with smoking bans. If you can't smoke, don't go.....keep your wallets shut! Sincerely, Garnet Dawn Illinois Smokers Rights http://www.illinoissmokersrights.com/------------ Eat, drink and shop, but don’t smoke Schaumburg poised to enact smoking ban August 25, 2006
By Eric Peterson, Daily Herald Staff Writer Imagine a time when a community as visitor-oriented as Schaumburg could seriously discuss a smoking ban for restaurants and not a single voice would be raised in protest. That time came Thursday night when the village’s health & human services committee unanimously recommended such a ban be imposed Jan. 2. Among an audience composed almost entirely of well-wishers, the only concern raised was from one restaurant owner looking for assurance that Schaumburg wouldn’t stand alone in this effort. “Our concern is just losing a customer to the next town over, 15 minutes down the street,” said Michael Vai, representing Entourage Restaurant. Senior Assistant to the Village Manager Kathleen Tempesta told him Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Rolling Meadows had already pledged to stand with Schaumburg in imposing a restaurant smoking ban Jan. 2. Buffalo Grove will start one as early as Oct. 1, followed by Elk Grove Village on Jan. 1. Elgin, Naperville and Mount Prospect are also discussing the subject. They supplement a Cook County ban that will start next March for all areas without an ordinance specifically allowing smoking. Village Trustee Jack Sullivan, himself a smoker, guessed that such bans would probably be the norm in the six-county area within two to three years. The ban being considered by Schaumburg and its neighbors would also prohibit smoking in outdoor eating areas or within 15 feet of the restaurant. The only indoor public places in Schaumburg where smoking will be allowed after Jan. 2 are a handful of businesses whose primary purpose is the selling or smoking of tobacco — including three hookah lounges. Under the proposed regulations, however, even these hookah lounges will have a choice to make. They must decide whether they want to sell food or tobacco more as they will no longer be able to do both. Village Trustee Mark Madej said the whole purpose of the new rules is to protect non-smokers from the effects of second-hand smoke. That’s why the only businesses where smoking will be allowed are those unlikely to be visited for any reason by non-smokers. Ashwani Garg, a physician from Hoffman Estates, said such restrictions should be seen as protection for employees as well as patrons — including those of hookah bars. Schaumburg’s village board will vote on the recommended ban at 8 p.m. Sept. 12. Read
Smoking ban will be topic of August meeting July 27, 2006
MATT KIEFER Schaumburg Village President Al Larson's proposed smoking ban will scrutinized for the first time on Aug. 24. That's the next meeting date of the Health & Human Services Committee, which has been charged with reviewing the smoking ordinance that was just introduced Monday. For more about the smoking ban pact, see page 6. Larson has suggested that Schaumburg go smoke-free in most indoor businesses -- including bars and restaurants -- by 2007 in the interests of public health. To avoid isolating Schaumburg with the ban, he has convinced the mayors of Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Arlington Heights to propose similar laws. The next step is for the proposal, known as the Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, to be reviewed by the Schaumburg Health & Human Services Committee next month. Mark Madej, chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee, said this week he expects the committee to reach a recommendation on Aug. 24. That meeting is scheduled start 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 101 Schaumburg Court. At that point, the Village Board would review the proposed ordinance and the recommendation from the Health & Human Services Committee before voting on the proposal itself. At the earliest, that would take place at the Village Board's Sept. 12 meeting. Larson said he believes the ordinance will be passed by the Schaumburg Village Board, as well as the government boards in the other four towns. "It's something I think is going to spread to neighboring communities," Larson said at the Village Board meeting Tuesday night when asking the board to refer the proposal to committee. It was the only mention that evening of the controversial proposal. "It's certainly something we should be encouraging. After all, it's about health." Read
Elgin mayor likes the idea of a regional smoking ban BY CHRISTINE BYERS, Daily Herald Staff Writer
July 25, 2006 A regional approach to banning smoking in public places that Elgin Mayor Ed Schock has been waiting for has arrived. The Daily Herald reported Tuesday that mayors from Schaumburg, Rolling Meadows, Hoffman Estates and Arlington Heights agreed to pursue a regional smoking ban that would take effect Jan. 2. Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins has pledged her support as well. Schock has dodged taking a position on the matter for years saying he would not advocate any laws until surrounding communities did so first. He said making Elgin a standalone smoke-free community would devastate businesses because smokers would go to bars, pool halls, bowling alleys and restaurants in neighboring towns. "It's time for us look at it," Schock said, calling his idea a "limit" on public smoking and not a blanket ban. "It makes sense that those four mayors would look it at this together because in some respects they are competitors. One thing we may want to do is invite communities like East and West Dundee to take look at it, too." For now, Schock said he will ask city staffers to begin researching smoking laws already in place in other communities as well as develop a plan to engage the public to participate in the discussion. Council members David Kaptain and John Walters met with about a dozen business owners in June to discuss the pros and cons of going smoke free shortly after the city's Board of Health recommended the council revisit the issue. Restaurant owners against the ban presented studies showing how businesses have suffered from smoking bans, but advocates provided studies that showed business improves thanks to smoking bans. Since then, Elgin resident Shawn Hurley launched an organization called Smoke Free Elgin, which recently gained the backing of the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. The group collected more than 50 signatures from its Web site since Sunday, Hurley said. "I'm ecstatic," he said of the mayor's change of heart. "I wish they would have done it sooner, but at this point it is irrelevant. I just want this to move forward." Hurley attributes the recent momentum of suburban mayors to the release of a Surgeon General's report that concluded second-hand smoke is harmful to one's health. Before the report, Hurley said he could understand why Elgin waited to take a formal stand from an economic impact standpoint. Schock said he wants to hear from business owners who believe they will be negatively affected if a smoking is instituted in Elgin. "I want to hear from everybody who has an interest in this subject," he said. "It's not something to be done secretly. "I just want to look at what could be done that would make a difference and yet recognize the unique circumstance such a ban would put people in." One of the largest exceptions Elgin may have to consider includes the Grand Victoria Casino, Schock said. The casino brings in an estimated $24 million in extra revenue to city coffers annually. Hurley urged the council to consider asking casino managers to try going smoke-free once a week to see how it affects business. "Do they realize they are losing a lot of money, too?" he asked. Suburbs to take regional approach to enact smoking ban
BY ERIC PETERSON, Daily Herald Staff Writer
July 24, 2006
New Year's Day may be the last time you're asked, "Smoking or non-smoking?" at many restaurants throughout the Northwest suburbs.
That's because the mayors of the towns with the highest concentration of restaurants and bars proposed a regional smoking ban Monday that would take effect Jan. 2.
The mayors of Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows gathered at Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts Monday morning to make the announcement. Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins had previously pledged her commitment as well.
Although the mayors couldn't guarantee their boards will approve the measure, they promised to propose it at their upcoming meetings.
But Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson, whose village hosted the gathering, thought the votes were there in these municipalities.
Although his village recently approved a public smoking ban that stopped just short of including restaurants, he explained why these neighboring suburbs are aiming for unified action on that point.
"It overcomes some of the objections that are out there - that if this ordinance is passed, 'my' business will suffer ... that people will just leap across the way," Larson said.
Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder said her village has had public hearings on the possibility of a restaurant smoking ban three times over the past 15 years.
Very emotional objections were expressed each time, but Mulder felt most of them were centered around the fear of losing business to a neighboring area. She believes the regional approach sought this time will eliminate this fear.
Rolling Meadows Mayor Ken Nelson said many municipalities have thought about making this step for a long time, but were always waiting to see who would go first.
"I think most of us have wished the state would do something on this issue, but obviously it isn't going to," Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said.
Mulder said she hopes even more municipalities will take the step after they see this concerted action.
Arlington Heights has more than 100 restaurants, Hoffman Estates and Rolling Meadows about 75 each and Schaumburg close to 140.
Elk Grove Village is another neighboring suburb that already approved a universal smoking ban in March. It will go into effect Jan. 1, just a day before the others.
A similar ban in Buffalo Grove starts as soon as Oct. 1.
Larson said the reason municipalities are taking such a hard line on smoking these days, rather than at any time in the past, is because of how much more has been learned about the effects of second-hand smoke.
Schaumburg's own version of the smoking ban is expected to include restaurants but exclude tobacco shops, a category the village's recently approved hookah-smoking lounges would fall into. Read
Leaders of five northwest suburban communities have proposed joint legislation to restrict smoking in hundreds of area bars and restaurants. Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg would effectively ban smoking in most businesses by Jan. 2, 2007, according to the ordinance introduced during a Monday morning press conference at Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts. The corporate authorities of each community must review and adopt the ordinance before the smoking restrictions can take effect. The Schaumburg Village Board may take action within the next month, according to Mayor Al Larson. A draft copy of the Village of Schaumburg Clean Indoor Air Ordinance establishes "the right of non-smokers to breath smoke-free air which shall have priority over the desire to smoke." The ordinance would ban smoking in all enclosed or semi-enclosed public places, with exceptions, including bars and restaurants, or within 15 feet of any entrance. It would exempt certain tobacco shops, hotel rooms, private residences and some nursing home rooms. The ordinance can be changed to suit the needs of particular communities, Larson said. The idea for "sub-regional" smoking legislation arose after the Northwest Municipal Conference could not reach consensus on an ordinance for its 49 suburban communities, Larson said. Larson said he approached Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod about drafting the joint legislation several months ago. They later approached Rolling Meadows Mayor Ken Nelson, Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder and Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins with the proposal. About a week and a half ago, the mayors decided to put together a draft ordinance they would all support. "This is something we felt should be done," Larson said. "I think this will set an example and will provide some kind of a model for other communities to follow." In Schaumburg, Larson said there will time set aside to review the ordinance "for business to adapt to it and react to it." Larson said he has spoken with leaders of other neighboring communities about creating their own smoking ordinances, including Roselle, Streamwood and Bartlett. Read
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