Smoking ban to be discussed at Jan. 11 meeting

On Wed., Jan. 11, the Calabasas City Council will consider a ban on smoking in all public areas and places where the public can congregate.

A Calabasas resident contacted city officials last summer summer about an incident at a Commons shopping center restaurant in which she couldn’t eat outdoors one evening because she felt exposed to secondhand smoke.

The council subsequently said it would consider an ordinance against outdoor secondhand smoke.

In November, the city sent surveys out to business owners to find out if they opposed a possible ordinance against smoking outdoors. The response so far has indicated limited concern about the ordinance and a great deal of support for such a smoking ban, according to city officials.

The ordinance, which will go before the council for discussion on Wednesday, would regulate second-hand smoking in outdoor settings, work to enhance workplace protections against secondhand smoke exposure, prohibit smoking in cars in the presence of children and include enforcement methods to ensure the ban is taken seriously. The city will include exemptions in the ordinance that are sensitive to business interests, city officials said.

The council hopes to have the final ordinance drafted and passed within 60 days.

Residents can view previous council discussions on the smoking ban matter by watching the Oct. 19 and Nov. 16 meetings in the CTV archives at www. cityofcalabasas.com.

The council meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Calabasas City Hall, 26135 Mureau Road in Calabasas. The meeting will be aired live on CTV and available in the archives several days later.

For more information, call city hall at (818) 878-4225.

—Michael Picarella