At its March 17 meeting, the Chaska City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance that bans all smoking in public spaces — including outdoor parks, trails and beaches.
The ordinance came about as the council sought to prohibit smoking cannabis in public spaces. The council decided to treat all forms of public smoking similarly to cannabis, including tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapes.
According to a summary of the ordinance from the city, “smoking and tobacco use is prohibited on property that is owned, leased, rented or otherwise used by the city, including facilities; grounds; parking lots; work areas; vehicles and equipment; outdoor park and recreation areas, lands and bodies of water; playgrounds; beaches; swimming pools; nature areas; recreation centers; and walkways, paths, and trails. The exception to this is on public golf courses.”
Under the ordinance, public smoking will be a petty misdemeanor punishable by a fine, but will not be a criminal offense as defined by Minnesota law.
The ordinance will go into effect 10 days after its publication in the Waconia Patriot newspaper, so City Administrator Matt Podhradsky expects it to be in effect by mid-April.
