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who smoke cigarettes, a legal activity, and an employee could safely enter those areas with such a mask. <br />He noted that the reason he did not construct a smoking area for his establishment was that he did not have <br />the money to build a nice area compatible with the rest of the building. <br /> <br />In closing, Mr. Jensen asked if the intent was to limit smoking altogether or if the intent was truly to <br />provide safety for the employee. <br /> <br />Stewart Stephens, 21 West 6~ Avenue, stated that he was a bartender. He remarked that the bar had been <br />dealing with the smoking issue for quite some time. He related that he sometimes walked into the bar to <br />find it completely empty and the smoking area completely full. He said customers wanted a comfortable <br />place to smoke but the City forced the bar to expose its customers to the elements. He noted that the <br />Hilton Hotel had a floor dedicated to smoking rooms and employees worked on that floor. He did not <br />understand why the bars were being targeted. He alleged that the restrictions were in violation of the <br />Oregon Smoke-Free Workplace laws, specifically Oregon Revised Statute 433.850. <br /> <br />Joel Pomerantz, 1171 Risden Place, representing the Oregon Restaurant Association (ORA), requested <br />that the record be kept open until the end of the week in order for the council to seek a legal opinion on <br />Mr. Stephens' testimony. He related that it had been brought to his attention that the ordinance could <br />potentially be in violation of Ballot Measure 37. He felt it was clear from testimony and discussions he <br />had with local bar operators that business people in Eugene had sought to cooperate with the City and did <br />not disagree with the general intent of the council. He thanked the council for its consideration. <br /> <br />Anthony DeSiena, 1940 Parliament Street, physician, stated that 53,000 people die annually from second- <br />hand smoke. He said it was now known that second-hand smoke was the leading cause of breast cancer, <br />diagnosed in 273,000 women annually. He averred that in areas where smoking laws had been put into <br />effect, such as New York City and areas of California where business could be monitored through sales <br />tax receipts, a ten-percent increase in business had been observed. He underscored that 80 percent of the <br />population did not smoke. <br /> <br />Regarding the use of a breathing mask, Dr. DeSiena did not believe such a requirement would work. He <br />averred there was no viable scientific evidence that smoking rooms with 25 percent open space, as per <br />current construction standards, provided protection. He asserted that when winterized, the smoking rooms <br />became more closed and the purpose of the City Council's ordinance was defeated. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing. <br /> <br /> Councilor Solomon, seconded by Councilor Pap6, moved to keep the <br /> record open until 5 p.m. on May 13. Roll call vote; the motion passed, <br /> 5:3; councilors Bettman, Taylor, and Kelly voting in opposition. <br /> <br />Councilor Pap6 asked Mr. Klein to respond to allegations of potential conflicts with the Oregon Revised <br />Statute or Ballot Measure 37. Mr. Klein replied that the ballot measure dealt with land use regulations <br />and this was not one of those. He added that even if it was a land use, Ballot Measure 37 exempted public <br />health and safety. Regarding ORS 433.850, he said he would check with City Attorney Jerry Lidz, who <br />worked on the ordinance, and provide the council with a memorandum in response to that concern. <br /> <br />Councilor Kelly supported the inclusion of a sunset date in the ordinance. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 9, 2005 Page 13 <br /> Regular Session <br /> <br /> <br />