Salina ? Smokers will be able to light up before 9 p.m. in Salina’s restaurants for a while longer, because the city can’t meet its self-imposed deadline for enacting the ordinance.

The limited ban, covering the hours between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m., was first passed by the city commission in May. It was affirmed by voters on Nov. 5 and was to have taken effect Dec. 9.

But on Monday, after City Manager Dennis Kissinger said restaurant owners haven’t even received information packets on the ordinance, commissioners granted his request for an extension and voted 5-0 to move the start date to Jan. 9.

Kissinger said he didn’t want to assume what the outcome of the November election would be, so he and city staff didn’t do a lot of work before the vote.

“I apologize for bringing this back to you at this late date,” Kissinger told commissioners, “but we’re trying to make this right and make sure we do it right when we do the implementation.”

Kissinger said about 150 businesses were likely to be affected by the ordinance.

For most, he said, compliance would be as simple as posting a sign.

“I think it would be a shame to have it bogged down in implementation difficulties, with everything the community has been through with this,” he said.

Julie Goetz, director of the Salina Area Tobacco Prevention Coalition, said she was a bit surprised by the postponement, but she didn’t see it as a major setback.

“I definitely think those who voted on the ordinance were looking forward to Dec. 9,” Goetz said, “but it’s very important that the public and restaurant owners are familiar with the implementation and enforcement issues. We’re just looking forward to Jan. 9 now.”