Hearing on smoking ban set for tonight

Although the Columbia City Council is braced for hours of testimony during a public hearing tonight on a proposed smoking ban, it’s unclear whether the council will vote on the matter.

“Legally, we’ll be set up to vote on Monday night,” said Mayor Darwin Hindman, but he was unsure whether the issue will be decided.

The council could table the matter if any member proposes an amendment that needs further consideration, if the hearing goes on too long, or for other unforeseen reasons, he said.

Toni Messina, the city’s director of communications, said the vote will occur if council members feel the time is right.

The council scheduled a special meeting on the anti-smoking measure because it expects heavy turnout and lots of testimony. The proposed ordinance, forwarded to the council by the Columbia/Boone County Board of Health, calls for a ban on smoking in bars, restaurants, bingo halls, bowling alleys and most other public places.

The council will have a work session at 6 p.m. to discuss the procedure for the hearing. The special meeting will follow at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Daniel Boone City Building, 701 E. Broadway.