Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Winter Haven staff reaffirm smoking, vaping ban for parks and beaches; enforcement to be educational
Summary
City staff said ordinance O2513, unchanged since first reading, would ban smoking and vaping in city parks and beaches (with an exception for unfiltered cigars). Public-safety staff told commissioners enforcement would focus on education rather than arrests or traffic stops.
Winter Haven city staff told the commission at agenda review that ordinance O2513, unchanged since its first reading, would prohibit smoking and vaping in public parks and on beaches, except for unfiltered cigars.
The measure is intended to align with state statute and mirrors a Polk County ordinance adopted in February 2023. City staff said there have been no changes to the text since first reading.
The commission asked whether enforcing the ban would create problematic or confrontational contacts between officers and residents. A public-safety representative said enforcement would “approach those contacts educationally first” and that initial interactions would not resemble traffic stops. Parks and recreation staff added that signage at park entrances and other points of entry would be used to notify visitors of the prohibition.
No final vote or amendment was recorded at the agenda-review meeting; staff characterized the item as still at first-reading status and noted it aligns with existing statutory authority cited in the agenda packet.
The commission will take further action on the ordinance at subsequent meetings when the item returns for final consideration.
