Monday night the idea of a smoking ban in Chippewa Falls took another step.

City Council President Dennis Doughty requested a committee recommend the city council hold off on issuing more liquor licenses until the city council can discuss and vote on a non-smoking ordinance.

Doughty also outlined an idea that the city would issue non-smoking premise licenses each time a new bar asks for a license. His recommendation would not include annual renewals for bars or transfers of ownership. There's no word on what the next step in the process could be.

Here's what Doughty submitted:

General Description
Non-Smoking Premise Ordinance

This request is to recommend that any license (up to 5 licenses) acquired by the City of Chippewa Falls, as the result of; non-renewal, non-use or penalty of law, be re-issued as a ‘Non-smoking Premise” license.

The penalty for violating the Non-smoking License Ordinance would be immediate and commensurate with other City Ordinances.

“…acquired by the City of Chippewa Falls….” is intended to exclude those licenses renewed as they come up for annual renewal or those which are part of a timely transfer of ownership.

Request of Committee Three

I would like to request that Committee Three, recommend the City Council establish a temporary moratorium on the re-issuance of liquor/beer operator license(s), to provide an opportunity for the Council to discuss, review, debate and vote on a non-smoking bar/tavern premise ordinance.

The moratorium intended to exclude those licenses renewed as they come up for routine annual renewal or those which are part of a timely transfer of ownership.