Council May Ease Nonsmoking Law

The Ventura City Council has agreed to consider relaxing a nonsmoking law adopted last year to bring it more into line with a state law that went into effect New Year’s Day.

Under the proposed amendments to the ordinance, restaurateurs would have until 1997 to install separate ventilation systems between bar and dining areas inside their businesses--as do their counterparts statewide.

If restaurant owners do not install such a device, which must meet clean-air standards being developed by state and federal regulators, smoking will not be allowed anywhere inside the building.

“There are a few businesses that are unfairly affected by our ordinance,” said Councilman Gregory L. Carson, who sat on a committee that reviewed the local smoking law, which says restaurants that have bars but no separate ventilation systems would have to install new ventilators by Feb. 24. “If changing our ordinance to comply with state law can help them, I’d be in favor of that.”

Also up for review is a provision that excludes smoking at bingo games operated by local nonprofit agencies. The state law does not regulate smoking in gaming parlors, but the city ordinance makes smoking at bingo games illegal.

Several nonprofit bingo operators complained that customers have quit playing at Ventura games, instead playing in Oxnard, where smoking is permitted.

The city attorney will prepare proposed revisions to the ordinance for the council in the coming weeks. A public hearing will be held before any of the changes are considered.