City pushback on request for smoke-free ordinance

Foster County Public Health employees Lisa Hilbert and Colleen Sweet were on the Carrington City Council meeting agenda again this month to discuss their campaign to make the City of Carrington a smoke free environment.

During the meeting held on Monday, July 11, Sweet read a letter aloud to the council stating her reasons for the campaign.

Several residents also stated their opinions on the need for an ordinance to make Carrington smoke free in light of the state legislation that passed in 2012.

Sweet and Hilbert are concerned that the state legislature can rescind the smoke-free legislation and smoking will be allowed in public places.

This came about when the state legislature voted down a cigar bar, but it lost by only one vote.

The push to get the council to create an ordinance mirroring the state legislature is to keep Carrington smoke free in the event a cigar bar petition or other smoke shop passes in the state legislature.

Mayor Tom Erdmann and most of the council fought to understand the concern of public health, saying smoking in public places will never happen.

Erdmann said he thinks the propaganda that the public health office was putting in customers shopping bags at Leevers Foods was deceptive.

“I’m appalled at the deception of these invitations, people are asking me if smoking is going to be allowed in restaurants and bars again,” said Erdmann.

Councilman Trygg Olson said he has been approached by residents asking him the same thing.

Sweet said she is disappointed in Erdmann and the council for not trying to protect the citizens of Carrington.

Erdmann asked three times if anyone wanted to make a motion to adopt a smoke free ordinance for the City of Carrington, to which no council member would make the motion.

Erdmann said no ordinance will be adopted at this time.

In other business:

Committee Reports:

FIRE:

• Carrington Fire Chief Ken Wangen reported that there were no rural calls for service since the last council meeting and only a few city calls.

• Wangen also said that some of the fire trucks need repair.

• Finally he said the live burn trailer will take place on July 23 at city hall.

ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW:

• Erdmann said the committee discussed the smoke-free ordinance campaign, the gaming ordinance and the junk ordinance.

FINANCE & LEGAL:

• The committee discussed the contract with the Foster County assessor increasing from $7,500 to $15,000.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

• The council approved a request from the CCEDC to have the CCEDC board provide the necessary administrative support for economic development efforts in lieu of the city hiring another economic development director.

• There has been no word yet on the Carrington Rainbow Gardens grant application.

• The old GTA Elevator lot is ready to be advertised.

CVB:

• The grant application for the Japanese Garden has been submitted to Strengthen ND and they are awaiting notification.

POLICE:

• A new patrolman was hired and they will be looking for a new police chief.

TREE BOARD:

• It was reported that 44 more trees need to be taken down.

• The City was awarded the 2022 America the Beautiful tree planting grant up to $5,253.

PUBLIC WORKS:

• It was reported that there was a water main break between 7th and 8th Avenues on Main Street.

• The City received a quote on the new roof for City Hall. It came in at $23,000, but they decided to get a bid on a metal roof before making a decision.

BUILDING OFFICIAL:

• There were eight new building permits purchased in June.