Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/87353
Sarasota News Leader October 12, 2012 Selby Public Library, across from Five Points Park, has become a gathering place for home- less people, especially since the City Commis- sion last year removed the benches from the park. By direction of the City Commission, the Sarasota Police Department has been work- ing over the past couple of months to keep a closer eye on actions of the homeless popula- tion in that area. Although the county commissioners indicated they were under the impression they had ap- proved an ordinance to prevent smoking on most public property the county owns, Coun- ty Attorney Stephen DeMarsh pointed out that the smoking prohibition was "aspirational," not policy. "It's simply signage at this point," DeMarsh said. "I thought all our li- brary campuses were smoke-free," Barbetta said. "It's not codified," De- Marsh said. "It's widely misunderstood," County Adminis- trator Randall Reid said of the smoking pro- hibition. Sarasota County properties became tobac- co-free on May 28, 2010, according to a Sara- sota News Leader search of county records. Signs — such as the one at the Administration Center on Ringling Boulevard — were to go up the week of May 17, 2010. "I don't even know if we have [no-smoking] signage [at Selby Library]," Barbetta said during the Oct. 9 board discussion. Page 32 Commissioner Jon Thaxton pointed out that most of the county's libraries "are relatively constrained sites," with little space available for smokers in the first place, without having an impact on people going in and out of the buildings. However, he said, libraries "are places where you want to encourage [families] and children to go," so smoking should not be allowed on those facilities' grounds. While he would be going off the board next month, when his third term ends, Thaxton pointed out, he encouraged the other commis- sioners to consider passing "an ordinance that the law enforcement folks could actually do something about." It's a serious problem downtown. Joe Barbetta Sarasota County Commissioner When Barbetta first made a motion asking staff to work on an ordinance banning smoking on all county property used by the public, DeMarsh point- ed out that that would entail ancillary action, such as working with the collective bargaining units that represent some county employees. Then Barbetta modified the motion to limit the policy to the public libraries. Commission Vice Chairwoman Carolyn Mason seconded it. In a related matter, Chairwoman Christine Robinson asked Reid to re-examine the re- stroom policy at Selby Public Library, after Barbetta reported on an incident he had ob- served on Sept. 29.