FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — An ordinance that will ban smoking at Fernandina Beach public beaches and parks passed at Tuesday's council meeting.
Code enforcement, beach rangers and law enforcement will enforce the ordinance, commissioners said. There will also be signs erected to let people know about the ban. Commissioners said there will be a $75 automatic fine if someone is cited for smoking, but officers are also allowed to issue warnings instead if they see fit.
City ordinances typically take effect ten days after passing, meaning the law should take effect August 27.
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation that changed the exemptions to the state code that allows counties and municipalities to regulate smoking on public beaches and parks, paving the way for bans such as this one.
Fernandina Beach already imposes fines for littering on the beach, but this ban will take that a step farther.
Commissioners said at the first reading of the bill that the ban would help to curb littering, and Mayor Mike Lednovich said the bill would help the health of people and wildlife.
"I'm just going to make the statement just like I've made all the previous times, as being a beach ambassador and picking up all the 1000s of cigarette butts on my summer campaign of picking up the trash at the beach. For the marine life alone, we're doing the best thing for our beaches. And I continue to support that," Commissioner David Sturges said before voting to affirm the bill.
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation that changed the exemptions to the state code that allows counties and municipalities to regulate smoking on public beaches and parks.
Commissioner Bradley Bean was the single vote against the bill. He said he does not support smoking, but he believes the littering ordinance, which fines people $200 for littering on the beach, is enough, and another ordinance for smoking is not needed.
"I don't think it should be our ability to stop (smoking)," he said.
The mayor countered: "People do not have the right to force me to inhale toxic material when I'm at the beach. People do not have the right to spread toxic material in the ocean, people do not have the right to pollute our natural environment and threaten our wildlife. Those rights do not exist."