Shawnee ? A group of Shawnee residents wants to make sure that those who support an ordinance prohibiting smoking in public places are heard.

A 12-member task force formed by the mayor to study such an ordinance is preparing for an Aug. 15 meeting to take residents’ comments.

The Clean Air for Shawnee Committee is circulating a petition in an attempt to prove that a majority of residents in the city want Shawnee to join Lenexa, Overland Park and Lawrence, among other cities in northeast Kansas, in passing an anti-smoking ordinance.

“It was good enough for Lenexa, it was good enough for Overland Park, it was good enough for Leawood, why should (Shawnee residents) have to be second-class citizens and have second-hand smoke?” said Tony Lang, the group’s coordinator.

The petition states that its signers want Shawnee to pass an ordinance prohibiting smoking “in all commercial, office, retail, distribution, transportation and manufacturing establishments, public buildings, areas and other facilities who maintain employees.”

Lang said he and others have been circulating the petition for a week, hoping to show that there are a great number of people who support a smoking ordinance.

However, Lang acknowledged that, “The opposition is stronger and more adamant than the people signing the petition.”

As for the number of signatures on the petition, Lang’s not sure. He said he has 250 signatures, while another member of the group has 150.

Clean Air for Shawnee planned a kick-off party in February to announce its cause. But then a lawsuit against the city of Lawrence and its no-smoking ordinance came to light, so the group decided to wait until the Kansas Supreme Court made its decision on the matter.

Lang said after court ruled in favor of the Lawrence, the group went to work.

“We want to let the City Council know there’s enough people out there interested in this so they can save face and pass this,” he said.

The smoking task force’s meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at City Hall; those unable to attend may submit written comments via mail to City Hall, 11110 Johnson Drive, or via e-mail to ssinger@cityofshawnee.org. The task force is scheduled to make its recommendation to City Council at its Sept. 10 meeting.

Lang said if the task force does not recommend a no-smoking ordinance, or if the council does not pass one, the Clean Air for Shawnee Committee will move forward with plans to create a petition to put the issue to a direct vote.