PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
June 21, 2010
7:05 p.m.
South Windsor Council Chambers
PURPOSE: To receive citizen input on a proposed Ordinance, an “Ordinance Establishing a Tobacco Free Zone at all Public Parks, including Athletic and Recreational Facilities in the Town of South Windsor”
Mayor Pelkey called the Public Hearing to order at 7:06 p.m.; and requested that the Clerk of the Council read the call of the meeting (a copy of which is attached hereto). There were approximately twenty (20) people present in the audience.
Mayor Pelkey asked if there was anyone from the public that would like to speak.
A resident from 301 Sandstone Drive came before the Town Council. He stated he was present because he is against the proposed ordinance. The fact is people already can not smoke in a lot of areas and if this is passed the Town is taking people’s rights away from them. The Town Council is an elected position and the Town Council’s job is to make sure the taxes are low, the streets are safe and kids are getting the proper education. Banning smoking outdoors should not be a priority of the Town Council.
Mr. Lemuel Odell, 274 Oakland Road who has been a resident of South Windsor for 30 years. Second hand smoke is indeed a problem that should and has been dealt with by the State of Connecticut government. The State statute will supersede any provision that a municipality creates, thereby making this ordinance unenforceable. Mr. Odell stated that he is against this ordinance.
Mr. Tim Shepard, 585 Main Street came forward and also spoke against this ordinance.
Mayor Pelkey recessed this public hearing in order to call the 7:15 p.m. Public Hearing to order. This public hearing was reconvened at 7:18 p.m.
Mr. Andy Paterna who is the Chair of the Park & Recreation Commission came before the Town Council. He explained that the Park & Recreation Commission initiated this proposal and there are facts that are important for all of us to understand. These facts are from the Center for Disease Control and the Mayo Clinic websites. Nicotine is an addicting substance and people’s choices are taken away once they experiment with this drug. This ordinance will be modeling behavior for kids in parks and recreational areas. More deaths each year are caused by tobacco then by HIV and aids, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle accidents, suicides and murders combined. Cigarettes, pipes and cigars increase the risk of dying from various types of cancer. Tobacco is the number one leading
preventable cause of death in the United States. Smoking causes death in 1 out of 5 people in the United States this year. Four Hundred and forty three thousand people will die of smoking related diseases this year in America and of that number 49,000 are a result of second hand smoke. On average adults who smoke die 14 years earlier then non-smokers.
Mr. Larry Torff, 521 Quarry Brook Drive came forward and stated that he supports the ordinance to make public parks a tobacco free zone. I would also support putting up a sign indicating that these parks are tobacco free, however he said he would not spend money enforcing this ordinance.
Town Council – Public Hearing for Ordinance, Tobacco Free Zone
Page 2
June 21, 2010
Ms. Joan Segal, 23 Windshire Drive came before the Town Council. Ms. Segal stated that she is the former President of the Connecticut Public Health Association, Assistant Professor of Community Medicine at UConn Medical School and Associate Director of the Master of Public Heath program at UConn Medical School. Ms. Segal stated she wanted to give the Council her credentials and interest in this area, but she is not speaking for the University or any other entity. Ms. Segal said that she is supporting this ordinance and then gave some more statistics.
Following comments from the audience, Mayor Pelkey asked for a Straw Vote, the results of which were as follows:
Those in support of the proposed Ordinance, an “Ordinance Establishing a Tobacco Free Zone at all Public Parks, including Athletic and Recreational Facilities in the Town of South Windsor”: - 7
Those in opposition of the proposed Ordinance, an “Ordinance Establishing a Tobacco Free Zone at all Public Parks, including Athletic and Recreational Facilities in the Town of South Windsor: - 6
The public hearing was closed at 7:24 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Deborah W. Reid, Clerk of the Council
Public Hearing Notice – Exhibit A
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