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Page 2 of 3 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />tobacco for on-site hookah consumption until August 31, 2025. Staff anticipates bringing additional <br />amendments to the Smoking Regulations with respect to the sale of flavored tobacco to resolve this <br />conflict by July 2025. <br />This narrow approach to limiting smoking in the public right-of-way focused on areas where the most <br />people – including most non-smokers – are likely to congregate, i.e. pedestrian-focused streets and next <br />to dining and drinking establishments. Because the recommendation does not include blanket <br />prohibitions on smoking in the public right-of-way, there are still enough places for smokers to smoke <br />without designating specific smoking areas, an approach mentioned in some community feedback. <br />The other proposed changes included moving all of the Chapter 15 Definitions into one Article, updating <br />to conform with state law and enhancing Article VI (Enforcement and Penalties) to authorize enforcement <br />and penalties for violations of any provision of Chapter 15. <br />The City Council voted 5-2, with Councilmembers Sturken and Padilla opposed, to waive the first reading <br />and introduce an ordinance amending Chapter 15. <br />ANALYSIS <br />The amendments to the City’s Municipal Code Chapter 15, modifying the City’s smoking regulations, will <br />go into effect 30 days following adoption of the Ordinance (Attachment A). City staff plans to inform <br />businesses of the changes, post signage and implement a Downtown Ambassador program to help with <br />publicizing the changes, should the ordinance be adopted. <br />FISCAL IMPACT <br />Implementing the ordinance will require new signage in the Pedestrian Malls and other restaurant-heavy <br />areas (strip malls, business corridors), as well as mailers and staff time for sharing information. These <br />expenses can be covered within current budget allocations and will not need additional funding; no <br />budget amendments are required. This work is funded by the General Fund. <br />ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW <br />This activity is not a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as defined in CEQA <br />Guidelines, section 15378, because it has no potential for resulting in either a direct or reasonably <br />foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. <br />6.J. - Page 2 of 28 <br />162