Fall River City Council could approve tobacco sales ban on Tuesday

Two weeks after it won initial approval, a sharply debated ordinance prohibiting tobacco sales at pharmacies returns to the council agenda Tuesday for a second reading and possibly ratification.

Councilors voted 5-4 on March 8 to approve the ordinance, which bans retail outlets with pharmacies from selling cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The issue returns for a second reading at Tuesday night’s council meeting, with a lighter agenda than two weeks ago.

Councilors heard support from teens and adults of the BOLD Coalition that following the lead of a minority of communities to ban cigarettes and related products at the city’s chain retailers would make the products less available and send the right message.

Fall River's independent pharmacies have not sold cigarettes for at least a decade.

The four councilors in the minority, the Greater Fall River Chamber of Commerce and others suggested such a ban infringed upon free trade of an industry that is already heavily regulated and highly taxed.

In a related matter, the council referred to its Committee on Ordinances & Legislation a resolution they support restricting access to “cheap, flavored tobacco products that have been targeted to young people."

The council also referred to the ordinance committee a resolution to increase public awareness of non-emergency phone calls and another to increase the standard fines for littering, which some residents say is becoming a bigger problem.

An ordinance on revamping street vendor fees was not acted upon and referred back to the ordinance committee for revisions after Councilor Joseph Camara raised issues about street peddlers.

First reading of a revised fee schedule was adopted for boat mooring fees, which would increase the $10 fee to $50 for transient moorings and $25 this year and $35 next year for remaining moorings. An exception would be the Battleship Cove sailing program, which would be exempted.

Two resolutions proposed for this week’s meeting include one that the Committee on Regulations meet to discuss the reopening of the Kennedy Park Healy Pool, and that the water division consider purchase of meter calibrating machines to flag certain accounts.

Among communications the council listed for discussion included one from the state Department of Environmental Protection on conditional approval of a “major modification permit” for the Allied Waste landfill.
The council meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. in the Government Center council chambers.

The Committee on Finance has no agenda listed with a 6:45 p.m. starting time. Two committees will meet prior to those meetings: the Committee on Regulations at 4:30 p.m. and the Committee on Ordinances & Legislation at 5:30 p.m.