The City Council made a procedural decision recently that – while legal and within its right – was a bit disturbing in its lack of transparency, something the council prides itself upon.
After public discussion, the council unanimously approved banning smoking in most outdoor public places. Several minutes after the vote, and after members of the public concerned about the ordinance left the meeting thinking the issue was over, councilman Rich Constantine asked to “reconsider” the ordinance.
He said when he first voted he thought the ordinance contained an exception for users of the Outdoor Sports Center. The first vote did not include that exemption. A similar exception exists for the Community and Cultural Center and for private businesses with outdoor patios when those facilities are fully reserved for private parties.
Constantine said while protecting people from secondhand smoke is important, it is also key that the ordinance does not discourage economic development and revenue growth, as Chamber of Commerce directors have stated in recent weeks in their opposition to the policy.
Allowing an exception to the OSC, where a bigger variety of users is sought, would be one less “barrier” to economic development.
The final ordinance passed on a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Steve Tate and Councilman Larry Carr taking exception to the change and voting no.
We credit the councilman for realizing his mistake and owning up to it.
But the council should have tabled the ordinance until the next meeting to allow those members of the public who left to return and speak up.
Regardless of the issue, why it was reconsidered, or the outcome of the second vote, the public has a right to be there when the final vote is taken. It’s as simple as that.
