AGOURA HILLS : Restaurant Smoking Ban Gets Initial OK

Without opposition, the Agoura Hills City Council gave preliminary approval this week to a ban on smoking in restaurants.

At its regular Wednesday night meeting, the council unanimously accepted the language of an ordinance that would outlaw smoking inside restaurants, except in bar areas. The city already requires that at least half of any restaurant with a capacity of more than 50 people be designated as nonsmoking.

At the meeting, several members of the community spoke in favor of the proposed smoking ban, and no one opposed it. Officials in other cities, including Los Angeles, Pasadena and Long Beach, have waged hard-fought battles to impose a restaurant smoking ban.

“I think maybe our population is more health-conscious than in the average city,” said Vince Mastrosimone, director of public works and personnel.

The council is expected to give final approval to the new law at its Aug. 25 meeting, and the ordinance would go into effect 30 days later. The Calabasas City Council is in the process of approving a similar ban.

Also at the Wednesday night meeting, the Agoura Hills council began considering an ordinance that would require commercial, industrial and large residential buildings to provide extra space for the storage of recyclable materials before they are collected.

The state-mandated law would help ensure effective curbside recycling in the city, said David Anderson, director of planning and community development. It probably will be in place by September, he said.