County: ‘Get off my lawn'

Cass County appears likely to become the first Nebraska county to prohibit smoking anywhere on its property — including outdoors.

County Board member John Baroni of Plattsmouth said he is optimistic the ban will pass Tuesday, saying the motion to draft the resolution passed unanimously.

“We've been talking about this issue for several months now,'' Baroni said, “and it seems like the right time to act in the best interests of the health of all our employees and residents.”

Like all government offices in Nebraska, Cass County bans smoking in the courthouse and law enforcement center. The county also bans smoking in all county vehicles.

Baroni said the resolution he will present would extend the smoking ban to “all county property,” including the fairgrounds in Weeping Water and nine roads department shops scattered around the county.

He said he's heard of little opposition from the county's 188 employees.

“Enforcement may be a little difficult — kind of like the (state) seat belt law — but we just have to educate the public about the benefits,” Baroni said. “In the end, I expect this to help keep our people healthier and eventually lower (the county's) insurance premiums.”

The Cass County ban would apply to all tobacco products, including chewing tobacco.

Larry Dix, chairman of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, said he had not heard of any other county banning tobacco use on all its property. Nor had Marla Augustine, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Omaha-area businesses such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Union Pacific and area hospitals have long prohibited workers from smoking on site during paid hours.

Baroni said a recent smoking ban enacted by the Omaha Public Power District was a model for the Cass County resolution. The electric utility banned smoking and chewing tobacco, including outdoors, for its 2,400 employees and the public.

Two OPPD labor unions have since filed a lawsuit, saying the policy exceeds the statewide ban that took effect June 1 and violates union contracts with the utility company.

A similar policy banning outdoor tobacco use on all Lancaster County property was defeated by that county's board of commissioners in August.

With some exceptions, Nebraska law bans smoking in restaurants, bars, public buildings and workplaces.

Douglas and Sarpy Counties do not allow smoking in their courthouses or law enforcement centers, but it is permitted outside those buildings. The City of Omaha's current policy follows the statewide smoking ban, which applies only to indoor venues.

The State of Iowa went tobacco-free on all its public grounds as of July 1, 2008.

Iowa bans smoking in outdoor sports arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters and in designated seating areas of outdoor festivals or other outdoor entertainment venues.

Smoking also is prohibited in outdoor seating or serving areas of restaurants; public transportation stations, platforms and shelters; school grounds; and the grounds of public buildings.

Jim Yochum, director of buildings and grounds for Pottawattamie County, said compliance has been good.

“We do not allow smoking on any county property or in county vehicles, whether it's the sheriff's office or the roads department,” Yochum said. “I'd say it's gone pretty well.”

Yochum said signs were posted, including in each county vehicle, to get the no smoking message across.

“We removed all ash trays and smoking towers,” he said. “We also spent over $6,000 on signage, but (the ban) is pretty well accepted now.”

Contact the writer:

444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com