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Ashland cuts parts of ban proposed on smoking The Ashland City Council may or may not consider its hotly debated smoking ordinance at its next meeting. In the face of public opposition and legal cloudiness, the council Tuesday voted to delete sections banning smoking in outdoor public areas, such as playgrounds, parks and performances. But it moved to second reading another part requiring city licenses for tobacco retailers and banning tobacco self-service. The council may debate and allow public testimony at first and second reading. It votes on enacting laws only after second reading. At its next meeting on Nov. 6, the council may revive the public smoking section, table (kill) the sales section or pass both or kill both, said Mayor Alan DeBoer. "We weren't ready for consideration of this ordinance," DeBoer said. "Next time, we'll be better prepared, I assure you. Myself, I think this is a good issue to drop, so we can move on to more important things." The proposed city regulation of tobacco retailers ran aground on questions about whether the proposed regulations duplicate state and federal laws. Retailers said they did, but city staff thought the opposite. Retailers urged the council to focus on education of minors and tougher enforcement of existing laws. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.