Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Saturday

February 4, 2012

City may not ban smoking in parks

Administration recommends shelving the concept for now

By Vanessa McCray vmccray@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — City Commission support is wobbly for a parks board proposal to ban tobacco at all Traverse City parks.

The city's Parks and Recreation Commission last month asked the city to eliminate tobacco, including smoking, at all city parks. The item appears on the City Commission's 7 p.m. Monday agenda but carries a recommendation from city administration to shelve the plan.

Commissioner Mike Gillman doesn't think concerns about secondhand smoke in outdoor settings are valid.

"That's essentially my position. If we run into a littering problem, that's a different problem," he said.

City rules prohibit smoking in park buildings, shelters, swim and beach areas, waterfront parks and within 15 feet of playgrounds. It's a compromise commissioners adopted in 2009, when the parks board asked for a similar tobacco ban at all city parks.

Presently, 13 of the city's 34 parks ban smoking because of waterfront locations. Ten parks limit smoking in some areas, and 11 parks allow smoking.

Lisa Danto, coordinator for the Traverse Bay Area Tobacco Coalition, is pushing for a tobacco-free parks policy. She said those with asthma are affected by secondhand smoke even outdoors, and she wants a "more comprehensive" approach to city rules.

"The way that they decided to make the policy a few years ago, it's confusing because part of the park is covered and not the whole park," said Danto. "It's not clear where you can smoke and where you can't smoke."

City administration recommended commissioners not consider the tobacco-free parks proposal.

"It is my understanding that when the commission looked at this the first time it was deemed to be too restrictive," said Makayla Vitous, the assistant city manager who wrote the memo to commissioners.

It takes just one person to remove a staff recommendation from a consent calender and bring the item up for discussion. Commissioner Jim Carruthers plans to make a motion to approve the tobacco-free parks rules.

Carruthers doesn't think smoking should be allowed in city parks.

"It's a nuisance and frankly the cigarette butts and the trash is my biggest concern," he said.

He could face resistance from some fellow commissioners. Barbara Budros previously said she thinks eliminating all tobacco in all parks is too restrictive. Jody Bergman also is content with the city's current rules, "barring any unforeseen information."

"I think (a) total ban is maybe a little bit of a stretch for me," Bergman said. "I haven't had any complaints about it. At this point, I think it may be going a little too far."

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