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Board of Directors Room
City Hall - 500 W. Markham
Little Rock, Arkansas
May 27, 1997 - 4:18 P.M.
The Board of Directors of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, reconvened from the
May 20, 1997 regular meeting with Mayor Jim Dailey presiding. City Clerk Robbie
Hancock called the roll with the following Directors present: Directors Hinton, Hodges,
Cazort, Keck, Joyce, Wyrick, Kumpuris, Kelly, and Adcock - total 9; Absent - Director
Wilson - total 1.
With a quorum present, Mayor Dailey declared the Board of Directors in session
and stated the purpose of the reconvened meeting was to consider the two proposed
anti - smoking ordinances which were discussed, but not read, at the May 20, 1997
regular meeting.
A presentation was made by Ms. Patty McLean, Chairperson of the Little Rock
Coalition for Tobacco Free Kids. A brief video was shown, titled "Stop the Sale, Prevent
the Addiction." Other speakers in support of the Ordinances during the presentation were
Ms. Joy Rochenback, Director of the Office of Tobacco Control and Prevention,
Arkansas Department of Health; Ms. Sabrina Bone - a 15 yr. old student; Ms. Debbie
Rushing, Program Coordinator of the Ensure the Children Outpatient Substance Abuse
Program at Arkansas Children's Hospital; Tracey Johnson, Director of Communications
of the American Lung Association; Ms. Betty Herron, Director of Arkansans for Drug
Free Youth; Dr. Craig Stotts, Arkansas Cancer Research Center; Dr. David Bourne, a
family physician; Mr. Richard Blume, whose 14 year old son was addicted to tobacco at
age 12; and Ms. Kirsten Heintz, Director of Cancer Prevention with the American
Cancer Society. Mr. Wayne Dyer, President of the Arkansas Hospitality Association,
supported the proposal to stop youth smoking, but said these two ordinances go way
beyond that by affecting merchants. The goal should be to eliminate youth smoking but
should not punish business owners. He felt that if there were a commitment by
businesses in the City and the advocates on both sides of the issue, then the two
ordinances would not be needed. He agreed to meet with Mayor Dailey and others as
long as the focus was eliminating youth smoking. Mr. Merl Haubein, President of the
Arkansas Grocers & Retail Merchants Association, was opposed to youth smoking but
felt the penalty should be in three tiers: the youth, the clerk, and the store owner. He was
willing to work with the Board on the youth smoking issue. Following the lengthy
presentation, Director Adcock moved to table for thirty (30) days any ordinances
regarding the use of tobacco products by minors and to have a task force with
members from the coalition and the business community as well as the Mayor look
at the proposed ordinances. The motion was seconded by Director Cazort. A roll call
vote was taken as follows: Ayes - Directors Cazort, Joyce, Wyrick, and Adcock - total 4;
Noes - Directors Hinton, Hodges, Keck, Kumpuris, Kelly and Mayor Dailey - total 6;
Absent - Director Wilson - total 1. Whereupon, Mayor Dailey announced that the motion
to table had failed. A subsequent motion was made by Director Hodges to read the
two ordinances the first time and then have meetings to redraft the ordinances to
everyone's satisfaction. Director Cazort had a list of 12 or 13 proposed amendments,
but agreed it would be better to draft an ordinance with everyone's input. The motion was
seconded by Director Keck and unanimously adopted by voice vote of the Board
members present. Therefore, consideration was then given to a proposed Ordinance
entitled:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 14 OF THE LITTLE ROCK
CODE TO ADD REGULATIONS OF THE USE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS BY
MINORS; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES;
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Minutes - Reconvened Meeting
May 27, 1997
and the Ordinance was read the first time. The Ordinance was left on the calendar for
second reading on June 3, 1997, in accordinance with Mayor Dailey's proposal to have
the three readings at three separate meetings.
Introduced next was the companion proposed Ordinance, described as:
AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH AN OCCUPATIONAL TAX FOR
BUSINESSES THAT SELL TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO ADULTS; TO
ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES;
(Includes revocation of license if business permits any person or employee to sell any
tobacco products to any person under the age of 18.)
and the Ordinance was read the first time. The Ordinance was left on the calendar for
second reading on June 3, 1997, in accordinance with Mayor Dailey's proposal to have
the three readings at three separate meetings.
There being no further business to be presented, the reconvened meeting was
adjourned at 5:30 o'clock P.M., with the Board of Directors to meet again in regular
session on Tuesday, June 3, 1997, at 6:00 o'clock P.M.
ATTEST:
City Clerk Robbie Hancock
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APPROVED:
dayor Jim Dailey