Arthur McDonnell

Promoters of a ban on smoking in indoor public places in Kirkwood have enough signatures on petitions to start the initiative process that could lead to a vote on the proposal.

The St. Louis County Election Board announced this morning that the petitions had 1,089 valid signatures, 54 more than the number the city charter requires to start the process. The supporters had submitted 1,357 signatures, Melanie Stilson, the board official who oversaw the verification of signatures, said.

The city council has until Sept. 5 to deal with the initiative. If the council rejects or takes no action on the proposal, it would go to voters. The election must be no earlier than 30 days after the last council step and no more than 120 days after that step.

Mayor Arthur McDonnell said he hoped the council would consider the initiative on July 16. City Attorney John Hessel has to complete a review of the initiative first, the mayor said.

With very few exceptions, the measure would allow smoking only in private homes, private vehicles and outdoors. Among exceptions are 20 percent of hotel and motel rooms designated smoking rooms, private clubs established before March 1 and retail tobacco stores.

The anti-smoking measure is a revised version of an initiative that voters defeated in November, 2006. Then 54.6 percent of about 14,300 voters rejected it.

Supporters would like a vote in November. If an initiative election is to occur then, the council must reject the measure by Aug. 25.

“We would like to get it on the ballot as soon as possible,” Debra Cotten, spokeswoman for Healthy Air for Kirkwood, the group sponsoring the petitions, said.

McDonnell said the city would save money by holding a vote in November. Then the county has a proposal on the ballot – a 0.1-cent sales tax for an emergency communication system – and Kirkwood’s share of the election cost would be much smaller compared with an election in February with Kirkwood paying the entire cost. In June 2007 Kirkwood spent about $21,000 for a special election when its proposal was the only item on the city ballot.

“There is no reason to throw out money,” McDonnell said.

Steven Sheridan, a spokesman for Choose Kirkwood, which opposes the initiative, said his group expects to circulate petitions for a competing initiative proposal. It would require owners of businesses where people can smoke to put up a sign at their entrances saying they are smoking establishments.

The initiative also would commit Kirkwood to follow county ordinances and state law on the subject.

Choose Kirkwood would begin circulating its petitions after the city says it is in proper form, Sheridan said. That word should come in about two weeks, he said.