Humboldt County reviews county smoking ban policy
County will order more signs for outdoor, problem areasBy ROBERT WOLF, Messenger correspondent
DAKOTA CITY - Prompted by questions from the county engineer and county auditor, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors took another look at the county's smoking ban on Monday.
Humboldt County Engineer Paul Jacobson said he and Humboldt County Auditor Peggy Rice both had questions about the county's policy. The policy is based upon the Smokefree Air Act enacted by the Iowa Legislature on July 1. The act "prohibits smoking on the grounds of any public buildings owned, leased or operated by or under the control of the state or its political subdivisions: a city, county township or school district," according to information from the Iowa Department of Public Health.
The law also applies to parking lots and driveways, Rice said. Following the new law, ashtrays have been removed from the places where smoking has been prohibited, but now cigarette butts are being tossed up around the building, she said.
Rice said she's received a couple of comments about people congregating outside the courthouse entrance and smoking. People have had to walk through the smokers to enter the building. It is only natural for people to congregate there, she said.
"There has been some comments, but nobody is really demanding that anything be done," Rice said.
Jacobson said the law has affected employees in his department who are out mowing.
"If you are in a cab, you can't smoke in any case like that," he said. "But if you are in an open canopy, as soon as you hit our property then you have to get rid of it."
Jacobson said he has employees who are stepping off county property to smoke.
The law requires no-smoking signs from the Iowa Department of Public Health to be posted at the entrance of buildings. The signs include the department's number for more information, or to report violations. However people outside the buildings may not know they are in no-smoking areas.
"How do you practically post a 15-acre yard, or any yard?" Jacobson asked.
There are signs at ball fields too, but not in the parking lots, he said.
The board told Rice to order more of the no-smoking signs to be placed in the outdoor areas.
Contact Robert Wolf at (515) 573-2141 or editor@messengernews.net
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virgilk
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10-05-08 9:46 PM
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If we can only post 1,000 characters, why bother. SHS causes no harm.
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FDPOTHOLELOVER
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10-01-08 10:24 AM
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SMOKE EM' IF YOU GOT EM'!
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hybernation
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09-30-08 8:15 PM
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i had to repost this to fix a typo i wish there was an edit option instead:okay i don't see anything wrong with smoking outside of a court house, at least the smoke is staying outside, but the people who are smoking should have respect enouph to take it away from the entrance/doors into the court house. & if places are going to complain about the cigarette butts on the ground then maybe they should keep the salted ash trays here,& there for people to dispose of them .otherwise they shouldn't complain about butts being on the ground. what else are they going to do with them? throw them in a garbage & start a fire?
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hybernation
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09-30-08 8:09 PM
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okay i don't see anything wrong with smoking outside of a court house, at least the smoke is staying outside, but the people who are smoking should have respect enouph to take it away from the entrance/doors into the court house. & if places are going to complain about the cigarette butts on the ground then maybe they should keep the salted ash trays here,& there for people to sispose of them in.otherwise they shouldn't complain about butts being on the ground. what else are they going to do with them? throw them in a garbage & start a fire?
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Carol_Foltz
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09-30-08 3:33 PM
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jfbsam: When there is a period followed by "com" without a space, the filter interprets that as part of a Web address. The filter doesn't allow Web addresses in an effort to combat spam in the messages. -Carol Foltz
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jfbsam
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09-30-08 2:26 PM
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The ****e is c-o-m-e on. I don't know why it bleeped me.
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jfbsam
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09-30-08 2:25 PM
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Ban smokes..****e on! That will do as much good as banning meth! Druggies get arrested for manufacturing meth and what happens to them? Probation because our jails are too full. So, what will we do with all of the illegal smokers? Slap their hand?
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MovedfromDodge
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09-30-08 12:10 PM
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Hopefully they will put up some wind blocks come winter or all the city workers will be out wit the flu because they had to stand in the cold to smoke. Man I hate standing in the cold to smoke.
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Mibbys
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09-30-08 10:02 AM
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What if someone is smoking in a smoking area but the wind is blowing it into a non-smoking area? Is that still illegal or is there a sign for that? :)
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jaybares
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09-30-08 12:21 AM
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Will they ban the sale of smokes so it is not an issue? Or maybe limit to one's residence-with curtains pulled?
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