"There's really no God-given right that a smoker has to smoke tobacco when it creates a hazard for someone else … that's my personal feeling," Councilman Jef Vander Borght said. "But I want to hear from everyone through the process that we usually take."
Other local governments in Southern California have already limited outdoor smoking, and representatives from the city of Calabasas, which imposed outdoor smoking regulations in March, showed up in council chambers on Tuesday to encourage the council to pursue a similar policy.
"We were the trailblazers…. We put this ordinance into place and I've got to tell you, it's been very successful," said Maureen Tamuri, community development director for Calabasas.
Concerns that smoking regulations might negatively impact area businesses such as bars and restaurants have diminished since the ban was put into effect, said Stephanie Warren, chairman of the board of the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce.
Since the no-smoking ordinance was passed in Calabasas, more than 90% of local business owners said the policy has had little or no impact on their businesses, she said.
"The overwhelming response has been thank you for clearing out patio dining, our parks and thank you for providing a designated area so smokers can have a place to smoke," she said.
But others argued that limits on smoking in public infringe upon personal freedoms, and if the council instituted a ban, it would merely be following the latest trends.
"You have two choices here, one is to make a reasonable and sensible judgment, or to do what the Calabasas council members did and vote for a ban just because it was popular," Burbank resident Gail Romero said.
CHRIS WIEBE covers City Hall and the courts. He may be reached at (818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at chris.wiebelatimes.com.
