City commission reluctant to reconsider smoking ban

Lawrence city commissioners seemed reluctant to consider a compromise to the city’s smoking ban after hearing Tuesday evening from a longtime bar owner who said business was suffering.

Rick Renfro, owner of Johnny’s Tavern, 401 N. Second St., told commissioners that his sales were down by about 25 percent since July when the ban on smoking in indoor public places began.

“I can tell you that in order for me to keep Johnny’s open, I’m going to have to figure out something,” Renfro said. “It just doesn’t seem fair to me that I’m going to have to bear the brunt of the social changes that are happening with smoking.”

Renfro spoke during the public comment section of Tuesday’s city commission meeting. Commissioners also heard from supporters of the ban who said preliminary data from liquor excise tax collections in the city show that sales aren’t down in Lawrence bars and restaurants but are rather nearly unchanged from 2003.

“There is a cultural change going on, and I’m sure it is difficult for some businesses, but there are now 4,811 municipalities that are smoke-free and seven states,” said Kathy Bruner, a supporter of the current ban.

Bruner also told commissioners that more people died each day from tobacco-related illnesses than from alcohol-related issues.

“Remember, that’s what this is really about,” Bruner said.

After the meeting Commissioner Boog Highberger, who cast a key vote in favor of the ban, said he wasn’t ready to consider a less restrictive version of the ban to help businesses.

“I looked at this from every angle I could think of when we voted on it, and I couldn’t find what I thought would be a workable compromise,” Highberger said. “I’m not ready to change my vote.”

Mayor Mike Rundle also said he thought backing off from the ban would be a mistake.

“I know this sounds cold to the businesses, but it is too early to change our action,” Rundle said.

Rundle said he believed data in other cities showed sales began to bounce back in the second year of a ban. He also said he thought bars and restaurants had the capacity to adjust their business plans, much like they were forced to do when the drinking age was changed from 18 to 21 years of age.

Renfro, though, said his business was suffering because it had to compete with bars outside the city that don’t have to adhere to the smoking ban. He estimated 50 percent of his clientele came from small towns in Jefferson County and other outlying areas.

“It is amazing how many of those customers just aren’t coming back,” Renfro said. “It seems like there should be some sort of compromise we can reach. It seems like this happened too quickly. I think you’re looking at losing some good local businesses because of this.”

Water, sewer rate increases delayedCity commissioners Tuesday night couldn’t bring themselves to approve an ordinance to increase water and sewer rates.At their weekly meeting, commissioners agreed to delay the decision for at least two weeks while city staff members gather input from some of the city’s largest water users — such as Kansas University, the Lawrence school district and Lawrence Memorial Hospital– about how proposed rate increases would affect their already tight budgets.Commissioners examined two options for water rate increases. Depending on which option they choose, water rates for large to medium residential users could increase by 7 percent to 18 percent per month. Commissioners are reviewing one option to increase sewer rates. Most customers would see a 15 percent to 20 percent increase in their wastewater bills.The rate increases would be used to pay for maintenance and new projects to help meet the needs of a growing population.Funding approved for MLK Jr. Day eventCity commissioners unanimously agreed to fund a $5,000 request from the organizers of the city’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.The funding request was more than three times the $1,400 the 2004 event received in city funding. But the Ecumenical Fellowship, which organizes the event, said it needed the additional funding to help pay speakers’ fees for the 20th annual celebration.Commissioners did caution the group, which includes a number of area churches, to be certain to use the city funds for nonreligious portions of the program.The event is scheduled for Jan. 17 at the Lied Center.