Title
a. Consider a Board referral to establish an ordinance prohibiting tobacco smoking, including tobacco e-cigarettes and vaping, at all County Parks, Buildings, and Parking Lots.
(Board Referral No: 2018.18)
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a report on the status of establishing ordinances banning smoking at Monterey County Parks, Buildings, and Parking Lots;
b. Consider recommendations by the Parks Commission regarding implementing a smoking ban at all County Park facilities, with certain exceptions; and
c. Provide direction to staff regarding the establishment of a smoking ordinance at County Parks, Buildings, and Parking Lots.
SUMMARY
On July 25, 2018, the Health Department (Health) and Resource Management Agency (RMA) received a referral from Supervisor Alejo's office, requesting Health and RMA to draft ordinance(s) prohibiting tobacco smoking, including tobacco e-cigarettes and vaping, in all county parks, buildings and parking lots (Referral No. 2018.18). Projects are currently underway to amend County Codes: 1) RMA has drafted a comprehensive revision of Chapter 14.12 (County Parks) that includes smoking restrictions within County Parks; and 2) Health Department is working on updates Chapter 10.70 (Smoking Pollution Control) that will address smoking in County facilities and parking lots. This report summarizes the efforts to date to regulate smoking in County Parks.
The Health Department has begun preliminary consideration of revisions to 10.70 (the County's Smoking Pollution Control Ordinance), though that work is not anticipated to proceed in earnest until the language of a revised 14.12 is finalized. At this time, it is anticipated that updates and revisions to 10.70 would focus on the following areas: (i) general modernization of language to address e-cigarettes and cannabis issues; (ii) general revisions to clarify and potentially strengthen current smoking prohibitions and limitatio...
Click here for full text