| |
|
|
|
Clayton restaurants assail smoking ban
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
5/13/2009
CLAYTON — A group of restaurant owners told city officials Tuesday that a
proposal to require Clayton's public places to go smoke-free could doom their
businesses.
But an almost equal number of business owners and people who work in Clayton
gave impassioned pleas for a smoke-free city at a packed hearing before the
Board of Aldermen.
Clayton is considering stamping out smoking in public places and is leading the
way in a new effort in the region. But Mayor Linda Goldstein said Tuesday night
that Clayton officials want to hear from all sides and ideas before voting.
At the hearing, opponents warned that Clayton businesses would have to shut
their doors and the city would lose sales taxes if the board enacted a smoking
ban without a similar ban taking effect throughout the metropolitan area and
statewide.
Mark Sandt, a bartender at Miso on Meramec, said that business was already down
30 to 35 percent in the current economic recession. "Honestly, I don't think
that we can take another hit," Sandt said.
On the other side, Fred Firestone, a Clayton resident and principal of the
Ethical Selling Institute in Clayton, said, "Please don't be swayed by a small
vocal minority. To me, this is pretty simple. We should promote the health of
everyone by having smoke-free businesses and public places."
Gerard Ezvan with Jon's Pipe Shop told the board the shop had been around for
decades.
"Let the marketplace decide and not the government," he said of the proposed
smoking ban.
Tom Stern, president of Solon Gershman Inc. Commercial Real Estate, said he
opposed smoking but also the proposed ordinance.
"While the health-related issues of smoking are significant, you cannot ignore
the economic impact this proposal would have on the city," Stern said. "For
Clayton to unilaterally impose this restriction will jeopardize businesses
which have supported the city for many years with sales, property and utility
taxes, events such as the Art Fair, Taste of Clayton and Parties in the Park,
and provide employment to hundreds who patronize shops, stores and service
providers."
Gershman and several restaurants who opposed the idea said they would favor a
countywide or statewide smoking ban but not one that would create an uneven
playing field.
On the other side, Steve Ables, assistant director of the St. Louis County
Municipal League, told the Board of Aldermen that the organization was on
record as supporting "clean indoor air regulations in all public
establishments."
"Clayton has the opportunity to be a regional leader in these efforts, joining
Ballwin and Arnold in our area, along with Kansas City, the state of Illinois,
among others and even entire countries" that ban smoking in public places. "It
would be a giant step in the effort to help maintain public health if the city
of Clayton were to pass such an ordinance."
Clayton's proposed ban has sparked a regionwide debate over smoking bans in
public places. Advocates hope it will lead to countywide and citywide bans and
eventually a ban throughout the state. Supporters include an overwhelming 77
percent of Clayton residents who answered a survey from the city.
Since the last hearing, other towns have followed Clayton's lead, saying they
also will look into going smoke-free. Wildwood City Council members said Monday
night they would consider a ban on indoor smoking in public places after a
group of Rockwood Valley Middle School students asked them to.
Goldstein said she had received letters of support for a Clayton ban from the
city of Ferguson and Ballwin, which already has a ban in place. Chesterfield
has drafted two resolutions — one in favor of a countywide plan and another for
a statewide ban that will be considered later this month.
|
|
|
| | |
| | |
|
|
