Smoking ban issue again before Springfield City Council

Springfield’s much-debated smoking ban is likely to be the focus of tonight’s City Council meeting.

Approved by voters in April after a successful petition drive, the ordinance has been challenged by opponents who say it is overly restrictive.

They’ve submitted their own petition, signed by more than 2,100 city voters, that would effectively repeal the April ban. According to the city charter, council must vote tonight either to approve the repeal or send the question to voters in June.

Council members on Thursday appeared inclined to send the repeal to a public vote. But they said they also will attempt to pass a series of amendments in April to add exemptions for electronic cigarettes, tobacco stores and possibly others to the current ban.

In other action tonight, council will:

Hold a public hearing on a request to rezone five acres on East Republic Road, north of the Ravenwood subdivision. Council voted down an earlier rezoning request tied to a planned hotel development at the site. The new attempt does not include specific development plans, but some neighbors have said they don’t think a proposed 46-foot height limit is low enough.

Vote on an ordinance allowing beer and light wines to be served and consumed outside in the Park Central Square area at up to five events a year. Events — a jazz festival, charity concert and Route 66 car show are among the possibilities discussed so far — would be limited to no more than three days and would require advance approval from the city manager and local law enforcement.

Hold a hearing and vote on an emergency bill approving a $111,507 settlement from a roofing contractor whose failure to secure the Commercial Club Building during bad weather led to water damage inside. The settlement, which includes money from the company and its insurer, will fully reimburse the amount the city paid to repair the building.

Vote on a memorandum of understanding with City Utilities and BNSF railroad to share the estimated $180,000 cost of an environmental investigation along North Main Avenue near Jordan Creek. The city needs to find out if the area — once home to facilities where manufactured gas was created — is contaminated before it can move ahead with plans to rehabilitate the creek channel.

Vote on a cooperative agreement between the city, Greene County and Larino Properties LLC regarding public improvements at the Hickory Hills Marketplace development. The city is not responsible for funding any improvements mentioned in the agreement, but has some oversight along with the county, which is issuing bonds to help fund the improvements.