Minutes - Parks and Recreation Commission - 04/08/2004

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Motion carried. Voting Yes: (2h;4r?rson Johns, Commissioners LaMere, Shryock, Lehman, Olds, and Ponti~ts. Voting No: No~e. Absent: Commissioner Ostrum. Chairperson Johns ~oted the: websit(: needed to be updated with the time change. Case #7: Tobacco Free Park~ Civil Engineer il I inton stated the C/tv received information on making the parks tobacco free. Implementation of this policy woul:t c,:quire a new ordinance and draft ordinance language was included. Hc explained tobacco w~st{: required a lot of maintenance time and eliminating this waste in thc City's parks would mai~e them look better and free staffto work on other parts of the parks. Enforcem~:nt of this poli.~y would require support of the Ramsey Youth Athletic Association (RheA/\) and other grot p:; !hat hold regularly scheduled events in the parks. Civil Engineer II Linton stated tl~e ¢:ommission is asked to make a motion regarding this proposal. An a£fi~ative motion sl ~ouid include forwarding the proposal to the City Council for creation and adoption of the ordinar ce. Civil Engineer fi Imton noted a la~ ~;~: ~mmbcr of handouts were available for review, as this had been implemented in many cilics. Commissioner ()Ids asked if'there wottld be signage in the parks. Principal City Engineer Olson resi,o~ded he went to a meeting with Anoka County and there were grant opporttmities to pay fo~ signs throughout the parks, along with flyers and handouts containing information. A prese,~talion ,,vas given regarding other cities that had adopted tobacco-fi'cc parks and he noted, ttere was not a great deal of enforcement that took place, as strong enforcen~cm could be seen ts s()ciety "picking on certain people" because smoking areas were continually disappearing, tt vould give people working with youth activities the fight to prohibit stuck lng during thost: activities-;. Chairperson 2[ohns asked if ii shoul{i be an ordinance or a policy. Principal City [2ngmeer Olson resp,,nded it would be a policy change; however, if the City began enforcement, an ordinance would n~:ed to be introduced for an enforcement technique. He asked if the Commission wanted an ordin: Chairperson Johns respond(x! a policy was a good begimfing. Commissioner Lehman sta~cd he t~ought it was a great idea for the health of the community's children, as parks should be places 'to improve health and wellbeing. Most public facilities were becoming tobacco fi~ce and the pol/;y would give residents a feeling that they had the fight to say something. Commissioner Olds asked if there x./aa anything that identified alcohol use in City parks. Park and F~ecreation Commission/April 8, 2004 Page 16 of 21