Council Proceeding With Caution on Turning on Red, Smoking in Parks

put the brakes on an issue regarding , as well as another measure that would curb . 

But they’re only on hold.

Council is expected to vote on both of the tabled issues at its next meeting.

Green means go, red means stop

Joe Beno, the city’s director of , said his department took an inventory of the city’s signs about six months ago. Out of the city’s 7,800 signs, there are 120 no-turn-on-red signs in Lakewood.

The ordinance on the books specifies where those signs should be.

But that may change.

Beno said the majority of the no-turn-on-red signs are near schools, but some aren’t. 

Those are the ones the city may consider eliminating.

“We’re going to take a second look at those,” said Beno on Monday. “We try to balance between pedestrians and other people who get sick of waiting (at red lights)."

Council members Tom Bullock and Brian Powers said they’d be interested in exploring the legislation, but said they’d like to “be kept in the loop” about the signs.

“Our role is to be the voice of the neighborhood,” said Powers.

Kevin Butler, the city’s law director, said that council would still have the final say.

“We did not intend to usurp council’s authority,” he said. “Instead we want to make sure that any changes are not contrary to the intention of council.”

Proposed

Smoking in Ohio’s bars, restaurants and public buildings was banned in 2006.

Now, smoking in may be a thing of the past.

Council reviewed a measure introduced by councilwomen Monique Smith and Mary Louise Madigan that would make it illegal to smoke in the city’s 15 parks.

Smith said that 90 cities in the US — including New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — have all banned smoking in parks.

“If we were to join that list, we’d certainly be a leader in banning smoking at parks, as the second city in the state to do this,” she said.