After Tuesday night’s meeting of the City
Council, Ward 10 Ald. Bruce Strom’s smile was so wide, he nearly got
his ears wet. The council finally approved an ordinance to ban all
public smoking in Springfield by fall. The ban excludes hotel rooms,
private cars, homes that do not contain daycare centers, nursing homes,
stores that sell tobacco products, and stage performances with smoking
scenes. As Strom celebrated passage of the ban with members of
the Smoke Free Springfield Coalition and spoke with reporters outside the
council chambers, Mayor Tim Davlin, the sponsor of the ordinance, continued
running the meeting. Certainly, were it not for Strom, the issue likely
would have never come before the council. However, his ordinance got stuck
in the public-affairs committee. It wasn’t until the mayor proposed his
ordinance, which was originally intended as a compromise but ended up being
quite similar to Strom’s, that the ban became a reality. But Davlin has said that he does not want recognition
for passing the ban. “His biggest concern is the health of the
community,” says Ernie Slottag, Davlin’s spokesman.
“There’s enough thunder to go around.” On Tuesday, Slottag says, Davlin also removed a
provision exempting businesses equipped with air-filtration systems. Ward 2 Ald. Frank McNeil, who criticized Strom for his
unwillingness to compromise, also voted no on the mayor’s ordinance,
which, he believes, was not a true compromise. “This is another way to erode individual
rights,” says McNeil, a former smoker. “What’s ironic is
that I can go to a bar and drink until I pass out, but I can’t take a
cigarette.” McNeil says that although members of Springfield Free
Springfield coalition say that more people will frequent restaurants and
bars now that a smoking ban is in place, he doubts that they will go to
Mac’s Lounge, an East Side tavern, and have a drink. McNeil and Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards say that they
will likely introduce exceptions in the coming months. Interestingly, while Davlin opted not to vote on his
smoking ban ordinace, Davlin voted in favor of the Salvation Army’s
petition to “downzone” the land at 1400 J. David Jones Parkway
to erect a community center and transitional shelter on the site. Davlin had suggested a compromise whereby the
Salvation Army would move its administrative offices and community center
to the North End and continue operating the shelter at its current downtown
location. The Salvation Army rejected the compromise when they found the
measure did have support on the council. As a result of Tuesday’s vote, the city will
become more involved in finding a home for the Salvation Army, Slottag
says. On Wednesday, Mike Farmer, director of the city’s Office of
Planning and Economic Development, started scouting other potential sites
for the Salvation Army. Todd Turner, attorney for the Salvation Army, says
that the agency prefers to go where the needs assessment says it should
move — to the North End and within a mile of the current location
— but a combination of price and the council’s vote is going to
make that impossible. “We’ll consider all reasonable
alternatives,” Turner says, “but give us more than just an
address so we’re not on a wild goose chase.”
This article appears in Jan 19-25, 2006.
