CAMARILLO : Smoking Ordinance to Be Reworked

After complaints from about a dozen angry speakers, the Camarillo City Council has voted unanimously to send a proposed anti-smoking ordinance back to a council committee for reworking.

A parade of speakers Wednesday pleaded with the council to not adopt the ordinance, which was before the council on a second and final reading.

The speakers said the proposed ordinance would put scores of small restaurants out of business, unfairly impact charitable bingo games and unfairly infringe upon the rights of smokers.

Council members asked their own Legislative Committee to further study the proposed ordinance in terms of how it would impact restaurants and bar operations and charity bingo parlors.

As currently written, the ordinance would restrict smoking in virtually every business accessible to the public except tobacco shops and some bars. Half of the rooms in hotels and motels will have to be reserved for nonsmokers. Cigarette vending machines will be allowed only if they are in places where they can be monitored and are away from access by minors.

Cocktail lounges will be exempted, but bars and lounges connected to restaurants will be forced to build a separate ventilation system. Bar owners would be given 10 months to make the ventilation changes.

A revised version of the ordinance is expected back before the council late next month.