Clearing the smoke

After "R" Place owner Brenda Gideon and The Reservoir owners Bill and Misty Brown asked for help from the town in banning smoking within their facilities, Mayor Karla Brandenburg and Councilwoman Emily Smith met with them.

"In the beginning," Smith later spoke of their first impressions, "when we did meet with them, both owners were in favor of it and the fact of us working together with them and doing an ordinance... was agreed upon. In our discussion, we were saying [that] 'it is our understanding that you both have agreed in the past to do this, but you need our help so, we are here to work with you to do that. There was no negativity to any of the discussions."

Brandenburg added, "They agreed that if the town was to do an ordinance, we would start the no smoking as of May 1. Since then, R Place owner [Brenda Gideon] has decided to do it on her own, without an ordinance so January 1, they're going to go nonsmoking."

The Browns of The Reservoir have subsequently been notified of Gideon's decision and have chosen to follow suit.

"They still sounded like they were in favor of doing it," Smith later said of the changing situation, "but instead of doing it the same day, they chose to do it in their own way. They are still in favor, but they chose to do it in their own way."

The Browns were also notified that the town will not be pursuing further authority over the situation. Brandenburg stated, "We're going to let the businesses handle it themselves, which is the way it should be, so in reality, we won't do the ordinance. I told them right up front, when we met with them, if you both don't agree to this, we're not going to do it, so that's where we're at and, to me, that leads into Brenda decided to do it herself, then, we're going to stay out of it."

Councilwoman Suzette Edwards noted the responses on social media, "It's gotten a really positive response on FaceBook – I have not seen one negative comment."

The body expressed their relief that the establishments are intending to police themselves.

"I'm glad they're stepping up because, with the positive response, I'm sure the Reservoir has seen the positive response," voiced Edwards.

Smith, though, was a bit more reserved, "I think it would've been better for the Reservoir if they had chosen to go at the same time, but I also respect their decision. I am very happy that they are deciding and doing it."

Research of the results of this change determined, according to Smith, "It would improve their business. We're not saying that nobody would gripe, we're just saying that, overall, it would be popular and that overall, their business would be improved rather than damaged."

However, the mayor voiced the expressed feeling of the entire council, "If Reservoir decides to or they don't, that's their choice, it's all on their table."