EASLEY — An ordinance that would prohibit smoking in private bars and clubs failed 4-2 on second reading at Monday’s Easley City Council meeting.
Mayor Larry Bagwell was initially in favor of passing the ordinance but changed his position after Councilman Chris Mann made the argument that city code already covered the few complaints they had received.
“We’re not talking about public restaurants and places, these are private clubs,” said Mann. “If these owners don’t want to have smoking in their establishment, all they have to do is hang up a no smoking sign and it will be enforced as per the city code.”
Mann said it sounded like the business owners were trying to get the city “to do their dirty work.”
“They want to be able to say to their patrons, ‘It’s not our fault, the city made us do it,’” said Mann. “This is something that can easily be handled within their own bylaws. We don’t need to be involved in this.”
In addition to the ordinance being what the mayor called “superfluous,” Bagwell said he didn’t think it was proper for the city to interfere any further with the way business owners handled their (private) establishments.
Currently there are five private clubs within the city limits that would have been affected by the ordinance had it passed: Main Street Pub, Sinners and Saints, Steddy’s, Miss. Hoot’s Place and The Hideout.
Council stated three of the five had sent letters asking for the no smoking ordinance, but didn’t name which clubs.
During the first reading of the ordinance at last month’s meeting the ordinance passed, but Council also said it wanted more public input on the situation.
According to Mann, one club did respond saying they were not in favor.
“You know, at one point several years ago, when we decided to go smoke free in the city, this was a hot button issue,” said Bagwell. “I think it that case it was the right choice but this here is a little different and I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think I’m going to vote for this.”
With Councilman Jim Robinson absent, Mayor Bagwell, Councilmen Thomas Wright, Chris Mann and Brian Garrison all voted against the measure.
Councilmen Terry Moore and Kent Dykes both voted for the ordinance although Dykes stated that he appreciated the position of those opposed when it came to the privacy issues.