MONROE - Bar and hotel owners are preparing to meet the regulations of the state smoking ban that goes into effect July 5, while municipalities are drafting their own ordinances.
Tavern owners in downtown Monroe are not doing much more than getting the "no smoking" signs they need to hang.
Owners Rhonda Bartels of Bartels & Company Tap, Chris Sukup of Baumgartner Cheese Store & Tavern, and Steve Flanagan of Flanagan's Shenanigans, said Tuesday that there is not much else they can do and have no idea how the new law will impact customers.
All three say they have no place to erect an outside smoking area either, which is allowed under the law.
While tavern owners are resigned to complying with the new law, "customers have very mixed opinions," Bartels said.
She is helping customers comply by purchasing cigarette butt containers for customers to extinguish their smokes before entering her establishment.
Flanagan has had a no smoking policy since he began six years ago, but he thinks the way the state went about implementing the no smoking law was wrong.
"No smoking is good for me, I built my business on that. But I think it (the state) was completely wrong. I think it should be up to each business to decide whether to be smoke free," he said.
Art Bartsch, part owner of Super 8 and AmericInn, said there is "a great need" for rooms for smokers.
"The state just decided a month or two ago to include hotels," he said.
Hotel associations were lobbying for the personal rights of smokers who pay for a room, but the Wisconsin Innkeeprs Association finally decided to give up the fight, he said.
In preparation of the new law, the motels' smoking rooms had to be thoroughly cleaned to eliminate the smoke smell. The Super 8 had about seven smoking rooms and AmericInn had a few more, Bartsch said.
Converting to non-smoking rooms required taking everything out of the rooms, washing or dry-cleaning fabric items, cleaning carpets, washing, and in some cases repainting, walls.
Even the air is getting a machine scrubbing, he said.
The Super 8 may have a protected location outside for smokers to use, but the AmericInn doesn't have such a spot, he said.
"In the long run, it's good, to get the smell out," Bartsch said. "I'm glad we're doing this. It's difficult to keep the rooms clean and smelling right."
Municipalities are drafting new ordinances in conjunction with the new state smoking ban, which Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said is a normal practice.
"Then the revenue goes to them, and prosecution is less formal," he said. "This way, we do the work, write the tickets and use the city attorney."
Without the city ordinance, the citation would have to go through the district attorney office.
Kelley emphasized that a violation of the smoking prohibiting law is not a crime, but a state offense and offenders would be issued citations.
Kelley doesn't anticipate any violations.
"It would be a rarity where someone wants to defy the law and smoke anyway," he said.
The Monroe Police Department will be hosting a forum starting at 6:30 p.m. June 23, at the city hall to help business owners understand their responsibilities under the law.
Monroe Common Council met Tuesday for a first reading of the city's new no-smoking ordinance, and set a public hearing date of July 6, when it is expected to pass.
Brodhead city council met Monday and approved a draft, according to Ellyn Popanz, city clerk.
Brodhead needs its city ordinance for use in the city municipal court, she said.
The final draft of the ordinance will go before the board June 29.
Tavern owners in downtown Monroe are not doing much more than getting the "no smoking" signs they need to hang.
Owners Rhonda Bartels of Bartels & Company Tap, Chris Sukup of Baumgartner Cheese Store & Tavern, and Steve Flanagan of Flanagan's Shenanigans, said Tuesday that there is not much else they can do and have no idea how the new law will impact customers.
All three say they have no place to erect an outside smoking area either, which is allowed under the law.
While tavern owners are resigned to complying with the new law, "customers have very mixed opinions," Bartels said.
She is helping customers comply by purchasing cigarette butt containers for customers to extinguish their smokes before entering her establishment.
Flanagan has had a no smoking policy since he began six years ago, but he thinks the way the state went about implementing the no smoking law was wrong.
"No smoking is good for me, I built my business on that. But I think it (the state) was completely wrong. I think it should be up to each business to decide whether to be smoke free," he said.
Art Bartsch, part owner of Super 8 and AmericInn, said there is "a great need" for rooms for smokers.
"The state just decided a month or two ago to include hotels," he said.
Hotel associations were lobbying for the personal rights of smokers who pay for a room, but the Wisconsin Innkeeprs Association finally decided to give up the fight, he said.
In preparation of the new law, the motels' smoking rooms had to be thoroughly cleaned to eliminate the smoke smell. The Super 8 had about seven smoking rooms and AmericInn had a few more, Bartsch said.
Converting to non-smoking rooms required taking everything out of the rooms, washing or dry-cleaning fabric items, cleaning carpets, washing, and in some cases repainting, walls.
Even the air is getting a machine scrubbing, he said.
The Super 8 may have a protected location outside for smokers to use, but the AmericInn doesn't have such a spot, he said.
"In the long run, it's good, to get the smell out," Bartsch said. "I'm glad we're doing this. It's difficult to keep the rooms clean and smelling right."
Municipalities are drafting new ordinances in conjunction with the new state smoking ban, which Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said is a normal practice.
"Then the revenue goes to them, and prosecution is less formal," he said. "This way, we do the work, write the tickets and use the city attorney."
Without the city ordinance, the citation would have to go through the district attorney office.
Kelley emphasized that a violation of the smoking prohibiting law is not a crime, but a state offense and offenders would be issued citations.
Kelley doesn't anticipate any violations.
"It would be a rarity where someone wants to defy the law and smoke anyway," he said.
The Monroe Police Department will be hosting a forum starting at 6:30 p.m. June 23, at the city hall to help business owners understand their responsibilities under the law.
Monroe Common Council met Tuesday for a first reading of the city's new no-smoking ordinance, and set a public hearing date of July 6, when it is expected to pass.
Brodhead city council met Monday and approved a draft, according to Ellyn Popanz, city clerk.
Brodhead needs its city ordinance for use in the city municipal court, she said.
The final draft of the ordinance will go before the board June 29.