Revisiting the tobacco decision.
Given the Lakewood City Council has in recent days established precedent by which an ordinance they passed was revisited for purposes of taking another vote – specific to the use of alcohol in city parks which the second time around was approved – there is reason to argue council members can – and should – likewise reconsider their position with regards the use of tobacco in those parks.
This past February 18th, council members voted 4-3 not to make its 12 parks tobacco-free. That same evening, alcohol consumption on city park property likewise remained unacceptable – also by a vote of 4-3.
Thus, with regards healthy activities and recreational places – aka parks – beer stayed out but butts stayed in.
While the vote ratio was the same, the specific drug of course was not, nor was who-voted-which-way.
Here also is a video made by the Computer Clubhouse of the Feb.18th proceedings.
Then, a week later, at the Feb.24th council study session, council member Mary Moss announced her interest in reconsidering the alcohol verdict, according to page 074 linked here.
An attempt to decipher Lakewood City Attorney Heidi Wachter’s instructions to the council as to the requirements of parliamentary procedure seems to indicate that “one of the losing side” (with regards the tobacco decision those would be Mayor Don Anderson, Deputy Mayor Jason Whalen, and Council Member Paul Bocchi) “may bring the matter back before the council.”
A motion to reconsider then would have to be made by one who voted on the prevailing side. Again, with regards the tobacco decision, the then-winners were council members Marie Barth, Mike Brandstetter, Mary Moss and John Simpson.
“The motion must be seconded,” Wachter continues. “Items may be put on the agenda by general consensus of the Council as determined by the Mayor, by the Manager, by the Mayor or by any two Councilmembers.
“The Council must agree to reconsider by the simple majority.”
If – or rather since – the matter of alcohol could be thus readdressed, why not tobacco use – “the leading preventable cause of death in the United States” its addiction-affliction-and-
Just one.
Just one of the losing side – Mayor Don Anderson, Deputy Mayor Jason Whalen or Council Member Paul Bocchi – “may bring the matter back before the council.”
Just one of the prevailing side – Marie Barth, Mike Brandstetter, Mary Moss and John Simpson – would then need to make a motion to reconsider.
Just one would then need to provide a second to the motion.
“The Council must agree to reconsider by the simple majority.”
Then the debate can begin.
Just one.
Councilmembers can be reached as follows: Mayor Don Anderson danderson@cityoflakewood.us, Deputy Mayor Jason Whalen jwhalen@cityoflakewood.us, Marie Barth mbarth@cityoflakewood.us, Paul Bocchi pbocchi@cityoflakewood.us, Mike Brandstettermbrandstetter@cityoflakewood.
