By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – The city of Lake St. Louis will launch an effort Tuesday to become the first municipality in St. Charles County to pass a comprehensive smoking ban.
The proposed ordinance will be the subject of a public hearing on Tuesday. Supporters hope to get it approved on March 15th - the earliest date possible under city law.
Alderman John Pellerito introduced similar legislation two years ago. He was only able to get a law requiring businesses to post signs saying if they allowed smoking.
Since then, he said, a lot has changed.
"The city of St. Louis and the surrounding area, the city if Springfield, Columbia Missouri, all the major metropolitan areas in the state of Missouri have enacted some sort of a smoke-free act so I thought it was time that St. Charles County should step up to the plate," he said, noting that the St. Charles County Municipal League had looked for a member to take the lead on the issue.
Pellerito says he has enough support on the Council to approve the measure.
The public hearing is Tuesday night at 6 in Lake St. Louis City Hall.