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People Ban: IL Gilman
Posted on Sunday, August 26 @ 12:26:27 EDT by samantha |
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Fencing in smokers
State smoking law smolders at Gilman meeting
Council mulls outdoor liquor service
2007-08-21
By Mike Lyons, mlyons@daily-journal.com, 815-937-3377
It's the kind of problem you'd like to grab a smoke and a cup of coffee and think about for a while.
In any case the Gilman City Council postponed a decision on allowing the city's bars to sell liquor outside as a convenience to patrons being "chased" outdoors by the state's new indoor smoking ban in public places.
The ban takes effect January 1 and bar owners are pondering how to handle it. Two weeks ago the tavern Boondocks got permission from the council to install an elaborate fence around an area bordering its business to allow patrons a place to go to light up.
Alderman Keith McTaggart Monday said he'd talked with several of the city's bar owners and bartenders in an attempt to gather their views on how to cope with the new law.
McTaggart said the businessmen were curious if the council would allow them to serve beer and liquor outside where their smoking patrons will soon be obliged under law to go.
The council is also interested in seeing uniformity across the board for fencing off areas being set up as outdoor smoking venues.
"I'd hate to see snow fence up all over the place," noted Alderman Maureen St. Peter.
The question also poses long-term concerns for the council. Alderman Andy Johnson noted the law forbids smoking in any structure with a roof on it, including tents like the ones traditionally used by not-for-profit groups at public events like the Gilman Old Boys celebration.
Alderman Rick Theesfeld said he was generally opposed to the idea of outside liquor sales, a sentiment apparently shared by Alderman Randy Eimen who noted that in his experience -- he's a police officer -- such scenarios too often lead to bottles and other objects being thrown at passing autos, particularly squad cars.
"The real question is how will this be enforced?" Eimen asked.
"It's going to create tension between people who smoke and those who don't," he said, adding that police have enough to do without going into the city's several bars each day and night attempting to catch smokers.
"Once again, the state has put a law on the books we can't even begin to enforce," he noted.
Mayor Lyle Price recommended that the council wait and see how other communities are deciding to deal with it.
The council OK'd the Iroquois West High School senior girls' request to whitewash several streets in celebration of homecoming.
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