Moorpark Weighs County’s Toughest Ban on Smoking : Laws: The City Council considers controls in nearly all public places. The Chamber of Commerce urges a countywide restriction.

The Moorpark City Council tonight will consider a new ordinance to ban smoking at offices, indoor restaurants and nearly all other public places--the toughest anti-smoking stand of any city in the county.

“I think this ordinance is just about right on the money for today,” Mayor Paul Lawrason said Tuesday. “I think it’s time to move to give the people out there the opportunity to live in a smoke-free environment should they choose to do that.”

Councilman Bernardo Perez also supported the concept of a smoking ban.

“It’s issues like this that make us see more clearly what our role is up there,” Perez said. “When we can make a definite impact on the health, safety and welfare of the residents, we need to do so.”

The council expressed general support for the ban last month, but decided it needed more response from the city’s business community before taking further action. Notices were sent to all Moorpark businesses and tonight’s public hearing was scheduled in a bid to solicit broad public testimony on the issue.

Francis Okyere, president of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce, said Tuesday that his group recognizes the hazards of cigarette smoke and supports the ban, but will urge the council to push for a countywide restriction instead of acting alone.

If he is not successful is seeking such a delay, Okyere said, he will ask the council to give businesses as long as possible to comply with the new law.

“We don’t think the chamber can stop it on our own, because it’s for the good of the public,” Okyere said. “We’re trying to make it so the businesses can absorb the shock of the change with less impact.”

The proposed ordinance, a toughening of existing anti-smoking guidelines, would make it illegal to light up in elevators, buses, taxicabs, restrooms, retail stores, restaurants (with the exception of some outdoor seating), theaters and all areas of public assembly.

Bars would be exempt from the ordinance.

Moorpark’s existing restrictions require employers to provide smoke-free areas for nonsmoking employees to the maximum extent possible, but do not mandate a completely smokeless work environment as the proposed law does.

Similarly, the current ordinance provides that at least 50% of indoor restaurants be set aside for nonsmoking patrons, while the restrictions under consideration preclude smoking in all indoor restaurants.

Because City Atty. Cheryl Kane had concerns over the wording of the proposed local law as now written, Lawrason said it would very likely be necessary for the council to take testimony from the public, reword the ordinance and instruct city staff members to return with a new version at a subsequent meeting.

“There seem to be, at least from her perspective, some significant elements in the draft ordinance that we have before us now that need some work,” Lawrason said. “I would like to see us come to a consensus on changes that are necessary to craft the final ordinance and bring it back for a final reading.”

Councilman Pat Hunter said the overwhelming medical evidence that second-hand smoke kills convinced him the city needed to take action.

Environmental tobacco smoke is blamed in the lung cancer deaths of 3,000 Americans age 35 and up each year.

“I think I have a responsibility, in light of the medical evidence that’s been presented to me, to protect the quality of life of the people of Moorpark,” Hunter said. “The medical evidence is just so overwhelming that I think we have to act, and act soon.”