Council approves first reading of parks smoking ban ordinance and adopts updated pavilion fees and usage limits

The City Council approved on first reading an ordinance that would prohibit smoking and vaping in city parks; staff said the draft draws from other municipal models but must respect state preemption on certain tobacco-related restrictions. Staff noted the ordinance focuses on parks and recreational areas and that statutes limit some local restrictions (for example, some tobacco products are preempted to state law).

Separately, the council adopted Resolution 2026-01 updating the city's fee schedule for 2026. A key policy change tightens pavilion rental rules: a deeply discounted resident rate was revised so the city recoups more of its cleaning and maintenance costs; nonresident and full-day rates were adjusted upward; council also approved limiting individual or organizational repeat rentals (discussion suggested limiting individuals or organizations to about two special-occasion rentals per year) and asked staff to enforce that the named renter be personally responsible for bookings and deposits (no corporate checks used to circumvent resident limits).

Council members said the revisions are designed to preserve resident benefit while avoiding excessive wear and unexpected maintenance costs (staff reported increased septic pumping frequency and cleaning costs tied to heavy pavilion use). The fee resolution was adopted and the anti-smoking ordinance advanced to a second reading that will be scheduled for February.