BURLINGTON — In a unanimous vote Monday night, city councilors adopted an ordinance that further restricts tobacco use in city parks.
The original ordinance aimed to prohibit smoking in all parks, but was referred to the Parks, Arts and Culture Commission for amendment.
The new provision bans lighting up in neighborhood parks and along city beaches. The city will provide designated smoking areas in larger parks like Battery, Leddy, Oakledge, North Beach and Waterfront.
“This is not much different than the ban we have now which is never enforced,” Councilor David Hartnett said. “There’s no signage. It’s actually a joke.”
Under the new ordinance the city plans to erect and maintain no-smoking signage as well as indicators for designated smoking areas. Enforcement, however, remains widely up to the public.
“Enforcement comes from the public, not the police or Parks Department,” Councilor Joan Shannon said.
The ban is part of a string of no-smoking efforts by the city, including a 2014 ordinance that banned smoking on Church Street.
Councilor Karen Paul said a memo would be circulated to all slip and mooring holders at Perkins Pier, informing them that smoking on the docks is now prohibited.
