Citizens in Charge

Opponents of a new tougher anti-smoking ordinance for the city of Salina have begun a petition drive aimed at repealing the measure before it takes effect.

But if the petition drive succeeds in bringing the measure to a vote in April, and a repeal is approved, the current ordinance restricting restaurant smoking to between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. would remain in effect. The current ordinance doesn’t apply to bars.

The smoking ordinance approved by commissioners in January would prohibit smoking in virtually all buildings that are open to the public — including bars, bowling alleys and bingo parlors.

The ordinance is scheduled to take effect 90 days after it was published in the Salina Journal, which would put it on track for early May, County Clerk Don Merriman said.

The language of the new ordinance says that upon passage by commissioners, the former ordinance restricting but not banning smoking is repealed.

But if the new ordinance is repealed by voters, the city commission’s repeal of the current ordinance would be repealed as well, leaving the current ordinance in place, according to City Attorney Greg Bengtson.

Opponents of the new ordinance began circulating their petition last week.

Those favoring a vote on repeal need the signatures of 1,320 registered voters, representing 25 percent of the number of people who voted in the last city election. They need to gather the signatures by Feb. 23.

The leaders organizing the petition drive, Leonard Dahl, of The Hide-A-Way bar, 540 Willis, and Elizabeth Owens, of the Rendezvous Bar, 249 N. Santa Fe, were not available for comment Monday. Dahl is a candidate for one of the open seats on the city commission.

The petition’s carriers have placed them at many public bars, some organizations such as the VFW and American Legion, some restaurants and some convenience stores… (READ MORE)