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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 29. 2016 <br />and reduce the number of people who start smoking. The research is clear and the time is now to <br />protect all workers. <br />Karl Nichols, 1530 College St., spoke about the assistance Smoke Free St. Joe would offer any <br />business affected by the ordinance. He focused on the implementation benefits that Smoke Free <br />St. Joe was willing to provide to the affected businesses during the implementation period. They <br />would help in three main ways including community education, event promotion, and marketing <br />workshops. This would include sending implementation tool kits to all affected businesses. They <br />would set up a smoke free hotline which would answer questions about the new law, provide <br />information about compliance and other resources. They would help with daily and weekly <br />advertisements about the new law prior to enforcement dates. They would coordinate with the <br />Common Council to identify early implementers who would be interested in promotion from <br />Smoke Free St. Joe and have the Smoke Free St. Joe monthly meetings at some of the early <br />adopters' bars. Promote events and bars on the Smoke Free St. Joe social media sites and <br />interview and profile one business per month. They would hold at least four (4) two (2) hour <br />marketing workshops for the affected businesses regarding marketing via social media, branding <br />and promoting the venue, event planning, and expanding the customer base. Smoke Free St. Joe <br />wants this potential transition to be positive for anyone involved. <br />Jonathan Anderstorm, 526 W Western Ave., stated there are parts of this ordinance that he has <br />questions about such as the inclusion of volunteers as employees as well as the enforcement on <br />non - profits should a complaint be filed. He does however support the ordinance for three (3) <br />reasons. First, as the Executive Director of the Monroe Circle Community Center in South Bend <br />he has a daily reminder of the adverse effects of smoking on this community. Many people have <br />limited options when it comes to employment and many feel their only choice is to work in any <br />place they can find even if it is a smoking establishment. He also sees the results of children who <br />experience the adverse effects of secondhand smoking. This ordinance would prohibit smoking <br />in public housing areas. Secondly, many of the negative affects of secondhand smoke on our city <br />are preventable and our City is in dire need of health protection. Third, people are God's treasure <br />and every person here has eternal value and worth, this ordinance will help extend people's time <br />on earth as long as possible. Yes some may not agree with me but it is hard to keep doing <br />funerals for people dying for heart disease or for a child born six (6) months premature because <br />his mother was a smoker. Yes this may cause some people some personal trouble it has great <br />potential to extend the greatest gift God has given us which is human life. <br />Council Vice President Davis announced the opposition will have forty (40) minutes to speak. <br />Council President Tim Scott made a motion to recess for five (5) minutes. Councilmember Karen <br />White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. <br />The Committee of the Whole recessed at 8:41 p.m. <br />The Committee of the Whole reconvened with Council Vice President presided with nine (9) <br />members present at 8:46 p.m. <br />Those wishing to speak in opposition to Bill 11 -16: <br />Frank Julian, 1620 South Bend Ave, stated those speaking in favor of this bill have already won <br />this issue. It is not hard in this county to find a place of business or restaurant that is smoke free. <br />He stated he had to sit down and think of any bars or restaurants that still allow smoking when he <br />was first approached about this. This is no longer the public health issue these statistics make it <br />out to be and the data presented today proves that with widely different claims of how many <br />people would die from secondhand smoke in our area. That data Councilmember Ferlic has used <br />have been debunked as not being of sound basis and that was stated in the Journal of the <br />American Medical Association. This is going to drive people from these bars to the bars in St. <br />Joseph County and Mishawaka. This is going to drive people to the casino and it is funny that the <br />Mayor wants to talk about public safety but takes $2 million dollars from the casino. The studies <br />that showed no economic impact were mostly done in southern states where it is easy to have an <br />outside facility where people can smoke. South Bend is not like that where most of the year <br />patrons cannot comfortably be outside on a patio. The economic studies also look at tax data and <br />those studies do show it all equals out because T.G.1 Friday or Applebees will take in more <br />10 <br />