The Madison City Council gathered for an ambitious meeting Tuesday night, passing a controversial move to ban smoking in nearly all indoor public places. The council also approved renovation plans for State Street and Lisa Link Peace Park and elected a new council president.
The meeting drew a large public crowd to Monona Terrace, 1 John Nolen Dr., and continued into early Wednesday morning.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the council voted 15-5 to approve a proposal that effectively bans smoking in bars and almost all other enclosed public spaces by July 2005.
Fifty-four people registered to speak about the ban before the council discussion. Supporters cited health benefits to a smoking ban, while many in opposition expressed concerns about businesses.
\You can make a restaurant handicapped-accessible and you should tonight make Madison accessible for everyone,"" UW-Madison senior Emily Gunsberger said. Gunsberger has lupus, and said doctors have told her to avoid secondhand smoke.
""Even though I believe [the ban] is well-intentioned, it is wrong because it will put us at a distinct competitive disadvantage,"" said David Soland, co-owner of the Cardinal Bar, 418 E. Wilson St. Soland said he could understand a statewide or countywide ban, but a citywide ban would leave businesses vulnerable to nearby establishments.
Despite the low bid from a contractor coming in at $1.5 million more than initially expected, the council approved the State Street redesign project by a vote of 17-3.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, urged his fellow council members to support the ""reconstruction of the greatest street in the entire state.""
""A lot of work has gone into this,"" Verveer said. ""Luckily, we have the money.""
City Engineer Larry Nelson said postponing other projects planned for this year will provide the extra money for the redesign.
The project is required to wrap up by the September opening of the Overture Center, contributing both to the increased cost and urgency of the council's vote. Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, said she was frustrated they had to vote based on the center's schedule.
""I'm just not convinced that we couldn't do better on this,"" Konkel said.
After two years of planning, a committee approved a plan to renovate Lisa Link Peace Park, a plan council members did not receive.
Verveer joked the lack of plan distribution was a way to save trees, but Ald. Linda Bellman, District 1, said she could not approve a plan she had not seen.
""This is a really lousy way to conduct city business,"" Bellman said.
Although the plan was not distributed to every member, council members praised the committee's work and approved the measure 12-6 with two members not voting.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, ended his one-year term as City Council president. The council elected another representative from a largely student district, Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, as his replacement.
In a speech, Verveer challenged council members to ""do a little better in the civility department and the comedy department ... we're all human beings.\
