OTTAWA — The Ottawa City Commission made the city’s smoking ban tougher Wednesday. City attorney Bob Bezek said because the new state smoking ban is tougher than the city’s ban, it was a matter of do it or else. Because the state’s law is tougher and because it applies to all cities, Ottawa’s ban would be null and void, he said. Commissioners have a choice: let the city ban lapse, pass a ban that’s tougher than the state law or bring the city ordinance up to the standards of the state law, he said. Bezek said he wrote the changes to match the state law and no more. Bezek says the changes include places of employment in the ban and tougher penalties for violations. By matching the state law, Bezek said because of the city’s changes, violations would go to municipal court rather than to state district court. Commissioner said they had little choice other than to approve the version drafted by Bezek.
Thursday, June 17, 3 p.m.
