The Board of Health voted to adopt the regulation in June, but postponed a first reading planned for July 17 to clear up legal issues related to the measure.
Since then, changes have been made to the wording of the proposed regulation. Additions include prohibiting smoking in any outdoor seating areas at bars, private offices, company-owned vehicles, bingo facilities, health care facilities, retail stores, theaters, and the common areas of apartment buildings and other shared residential units.
Those places would have fallen under the original regulation, but Lockard said officials wanted to be more explicit.
"Our attorney thought we needed to be more specific in delineating the particular facilities that would fall there (under the regulation)," he said. "We tried to make it as clear as possible, with no gray areas and no areas of confusion so that there's no question."
Even if board members approve the regulation tonight, the ban still has hurdles to jump before it is official. A public forum is planned to follow the first reading of the ordinance, and a third meeting will be scheduled for the second reading.
"(I'm) glad to see the Board of Health take this step for our community and look out for the overall health of our community," Lockard said.
Members of the public can attend tonight's meeting, but it will be up to Chairman Brian Andreas to recognize a person to speak, Lockard said.
Enforcement of the regulation will be up to the Health Department. Members of the Winchester Police Department and Clark County Sheriff's Office may also enforce the ban, according to the regulation.
Smoking would still be allowed in private residences, hotel rooms designated for smoking, retail tobacco stores, private clubs with no employees and outdoor areas at places of employment.
Seven counties and 12 cities in Kentucky have enacted community-wide smoking bans since 2004, when Lexington-Fayette County approved an ordinance that outlawed smoking in all public buildings, including bars and restaurants.
Nearby Madison County, Woodford County, Danville, Franklin County and Morehead also have bans in place, according to the Kentucky Tobacco Policy Research Program at the University of Kentucky's College of Nursing.
A survey of Clark County residents in early 2007 showed that 53.3 percent would be in favor of an ordinance against smoking in public buildings, and the Community Survey in November found that support had grown to 65.2 percent.
The Board of Health will also set the tax rate tonight. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Health Department, 400 Professional Ave.
Contact Katheran Wasson at kwasson@winchestersun.com.
