Citywide smoke ban rejected
Published 7:25 pm Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A committee of aldermen designated to decide if Brookhaven needsto go to a citywide smoking ban announced Tuesday night that thecurrent ordinance will stay in place.
Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron pointed out a recent decision inJackson to extend that city’s smoking ban, adding that citizensthere are now able to make out affidavits against each other ifthey feel like smoking ordinances are being violated.
“I don’t think the citizens of Brookhaven are ready for that,” hesaid. “If we have to visit this again sometime in the future wecan.”
Cameron, who headed the committee, said he had heard positivefeedback on the Brookhaven ordinance that was put into place twoyears ago, and that the committee had decided that there will be nochanges to those rules.
“I’m hearing that some of the cities that have gone citywide withtheir smoking ban, it’s created problems between the smokers andthe non-smokers,” he said.
Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell, who spearheaded the effort to makeBrookhaven at least partially smoke-free, said he was not presentat the committee meeting when the decision not to extend the banwas made.
“We went through a lot to get that passed, and it’s worked well,”he said. “I’ve never seen a problem with it yet.”
Meanwhile, the committee of aldermen formed to select an architectfor the planned FEMA 361 storm shelter that will be constructed oncity property to help evacuees in case of a major disasterannounced its decision to award the job to Weir and BoernerArchitecture.
Committee Chairman Alderman at large Karen Sullivan said thecommittee interviewed eight firms, and each of the aldermenindividually rated each firm on a 10-point scale.
“We were in agreement before we even compared notes,” shesaid.
Sullivan said Weir and Boerner was chosen for several reasonsincluding accessibility and promise of a hands-on approach with nodelegating. She also cited their recent work at Fort Hood, wherethey had to meet several of the same criteria for the structures asthey will for the FEMA shelter.
Sullivan also said she was happy to hear after discussingpossibilities with several of the firms that the building will beaesthetically pleasing, and won’t have to look like the bunker itwill be built like.
“I’m glad to hear it’s not going to be ugly block concrete, butit’ll be attractive enough for multi-use,” she said.
The shelter, which will be able to hold up to 800 people, will beable to be used for many events as long as there is no profit beingmade off it, officials said.
Lincoln County Civil Defense Director Clifford Galey also spoke tothe board to let them know that the city had received aninteroperability radio grant that will purchase advancedcommunications equipment in case of a disaster.
While on the topic of disasters, Cameron asked Galey again aboutthe possibility of emergency sirens for Brookhaven. Cameron saidduring the recent severe weather in Yazoo City, it had occurred tohim again that Brookhaven needs an alert system.
Galey explained again that there is paperwork in for a grant thatwould place 18 sirens inside the city, but that currently fundingis only available for the seven or eight counties affected by therecent weather.
Cameron asked him what citizens can do to protect themselvesagainst incoming inclement weather. Galey said it’s a good idea tohave a weather radio in every household.
“A weather radio costs less than $50, and that’s the best avenue,”he said. “That’s some of the best information you can get rightnow.”
Galey said that when the grant funds are available, the board willbe the first to know.
“I’d love to tell you we had the money to do it, but it just takesa large disaster to make it happen,” he said. “But the paperwork isin.”
Troy Peter of SBA Networks also spoke to the board about AT&T’splan to put a cell tower on the smokestack on Railroad Avenue inorder to boost reception in the downtown area. He assured aldermenthat there is a plan in place that will respect and preserve thestructural integrity of the smokestack while also making minimalvisual impact.
Mayor Les Bumgarner told the board that there were some contractissues that needed to be discussed, and that the board will discussthe cell tower further at the next meeting.