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| Smoking Ban Not Being Put Out; Special Meeting Tuesday Night |
If you think you can light up in any establishment in Galesburg, think again.
That's after the Galesburg City Council voted seven to one Monday night -- the lone no vote coming from Third Ward Alderman Russell Fleming -- to essentially let local police enforce the statewide indoor smoking ban, which would fine both smokers and the owners of businesses who allow such smoking.
Fleming's argument for voting no: the city shouldn't do what state lawmakers apparently couldn't.
"The state sort of botched it, I think, by not having enforcement like they should have if they wanted it enforced," Fleming said. "I think they knew what they were doing when they structured it the way they did."
Several bar owners have told aldermen they may close up shop if the ban remains in effect -- but Fifth Ward Alderman Karen Lafferty says it wouldn't be the city's fault.
"If they want to close it because they can't smoke in there -- they think the patrons aren't going to come in -- then I'm sorry, I feel bad about that," Lafferty said. "But it wasn't our doings to make the law in the first place. We can't administer it if we don't pass the law."
At least one resident told aldermen the council owes no apology to bar owners or anyone else for doing what's right.
The Galesburg City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday at five o'clock -- it will be in the form of a work session dealing with the proposed sale of properties around the former Regency Hotel. This, as published reports suggest a developer wants to tear down the hotel and do something else with the land. |
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| 05 04 10 by Newsroom |
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