Burlingame City Council OKs smoking ban pilot program for Broadway district

John Kevranian, Broadway Business Improvement District president, said over the years he has received many complaints regarding smoking on Broadway, according to a staff report.

“It’s a health and environmental issue,” Kevranian said. “The proposal is a win for the community, business owners and its employees.”

Burlingame Business owner Kerry Bitner said in an email to the city she makes fresh food at her business and the smoke seeps into her business and has a negative impact on the business, her health and the environment.

Complaints increased after parklets were introduced on the street. Kevranian said smoke enters the businesses on the street, which is another unwanted challenge for business owners, according to the report.

During the meeting, Vice Mayor Donna Colson said the focus of the smoking ban would be more based on education and giving the merchants the ability to speak up for themselves to say, “Hey, you can’t smoke here.”

The pilot program is anticipated to run for six months to give the community a chance to see how it goes and help the council figure if there needs to be further regulation moving forward. Signs would be posted in merchant windows warning of a smoke-free district.

The ban includes e-cigarettes, vaping and cannabis. Additionally, chewing tobacco is still allowed but not spitting it onto the street. Colson said it’s not fair to have city staff to clean up after tobacco spit.

Mayor Michael Brownrigg said it’s an opportunity for the community to buy in, much like the COVID-19 mask mandates.

“Nobody is going to respond [to a police complaint] in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette or put one out,” Brownrigg said.

Some of the issues the council wants to still work out is how to accommodate the Broadway business employees who may smoke and to help find an appropriate smoking zone.

Councilmember Ricardo Ortiz compared Monday’s action to the multifamily dwelling smoking ban because he felt it isn’t the city’s job to tell people what they can and can’t do in their homes. However, smoke is invasive and was going into people’s homes and complaints he heard from residents changed his mind. The smoking ban will allow the merchants to quote the law to get people to stop, Ortiz said.

City staff will write out an ordinance and present it to the council at a later date.