HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8800INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8800
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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• SUBJECT: SMOKING ORDINANCE REVIEW AD HOC WORK GROUP
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Smoking Ordinance Review Ad Hoc Work Group has completed its deliberations. Following a public
forum and nine work group meetings, recommendations are now being formalized for presentation to City
Council at the October 10 Pre - Council meeting. Media outlets have begun reporting the Work Group's
recommendations which were finalized at their last open meeting. In anticipation of citizen comments and
questions directed to the City Council, this informal report was created to provide Council with a synopsis
of the Work Group's recommendations that will be presented in much more detail on October 10.
Recommendations Summary
Each of the following recommendations resulted from a majority vote of the Work Group members. Vote
totals and deliberation detail will be provided with the formal presentation next week.
The Ad Hoc Work Group is recommending that the City of Fort Worth strengthen the current smoking
ordinance. Specifically, it recommends that all public enclosed spaces be 100% smoke -free. The Ad Hoc
Work Group addressed all the areas in the current ordinance where there are exemptions. Under this
recommendation, the following locations would be smoke free:
• Restaurants (outdoor dining patios meeting certain criteria are exempt)
it • Bars
• Business / Office Buildings
• Billiard Halls
• Bingo Parlors
• Bowling Centers
Currently, the establishments noted above are allowed to provide a designated smoking section with
approved air filtration or ventilation equipment or are exempt from regulation by the current smoking
ordinance. The Ad Hoc Work Group will recommend these indoor facilities be non - smoking facilities with
no exemptions and without exceptions.
Certain new locations not addressed in the current ordinance would also be designated as smoke free:
• Within 20 feet of an entrance or openable window of any non - smoking facility
• Service Lines (indoor and /or outdoor)
Recommended to maintain their exempt statuses are the following locations:
• Private Clubs
• Enclosed meeting or assembly rooms when being used for a private function
• Privately owned and /or leased areas at public event facilities
• Adult Entertainment Facilities (defined as sexually oriented businesses)
• Hotel /Motel Rooms
• Retail Tobacco Stores (unless they open into another non - smoking venue)
• Work places in city fire stations
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8800
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
+'11TEpR0
Page 2 of 2
• SUBJECT: SMOKING ORDINANCE REVIEW AD HOC WORK GROUP
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Day care centers that are also private homes when children or adults receiving care have gone
home
• Performance halls when smoking is part of a stage production
• Patient rooms in health care facilities when all patients within the room are smokers and smoking is
ordered on the health care facility's admission form by an attending physician
• Private residences
As indicated above, on October 10th, Harriett Harral, the Ad Hoc Work Group facilitator and city staff will
provide the detailed presentation on these recommendations. The staff will look for direction from the
City Council in order to draft the necessary changes to the current ordinance should the City Council
agree with all or part of the recommendations.
For further information on this informal report, please contact Joe Paniagua, Assistant City Manager at
817 - 392 -6191 or Dan Reimer, Public Health Director at 817 - 871 -7201.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS