STANTON : City Workers Won’t Be Smelling Smoke

Cigarette smoke will no longer be allowed to cloud city facilities as the City Council this week took action to establish a smoke-free work environment for city employees.

Responding to a request by Stanton’s employee’s union, the council unanimously adopted a resolution that prohibits smoking by employees or visitors in all city facilities with the exception of the sheriff’s substation and the recreation center. The sheriff’s substation is already covered by existing county regulations.

Under the resolution, the smoking ban can be lifted at the recreation center when outside events such as wedding receptions are held there. Smoking will be permitted only in areas defined by the city’s recreation director and only if the groups that rent the facility make a written request to permit smoking during the event. The exception was made after Recreation Department officials said that an all-out ban on smoking might deter some groups from renting the center facility.

City employees were notified by memo on Wednesday of the council’s action, which takes effect immediately. A draft resolution had already been submitted to the Employees Assn. for review. It was brought before the council after the union’s negotiating representatives indicated their support for the proposed smoking ban.