By LINDSAY CAREY STAFF WRITER Parks and Recreation Board Chairman Michael Fasulo was invited by Town Attorney Mark Sciota to present a new smoking policy the Parks Board has made for Southington town parks at the Town Council meeting on Jan. 12. “We started discussing this with creating a healthier environment for everybody that uses the parks, especially the children,” said Fasulo. The Parks Board chairman said the board noticed other towns and cities implementing smoking policies within parks. In October, the Parks and Recreation Board held a public hearing, which revealed that for the most part the public was in support of establishing a smoking policy in parks. Several members of the Southington’s Town-wide Effort to Promote Success (STEPS) Coalition and Youth Council came to speak in support of the policy. “The only concern we heard was that somebody thought we were trying to ban tobacco products entirely from the parks and that was never our intent,” said Fasulo. He explained non-smoking signs are already posted in all of the pool areas. However, the parks board will be adding signs in areas that are in close proximity of children. The new policy states, “By order of the Southington Board […]
By LINDSAY CAREY STAFF WRITER Parks and Recreation Board Chairman Michael Fasulo was invited by Town Attorney Mark Sciota to present a new smoking policy the Parks Board has made for Southington town parks at the Town Council meeting on Jan. 12. “We started discussing this with creating a healthier environment for everybody that uses the parks, especially the children,” said Fasulo. The Parks Board chairman said the board noticed other towns and cities implementing smoking policies within parks. In October, the Parks and Recreation Board held a public hearing, which revealed that for the most part the public was in support of establishing a smoking policy in parks. Several members of the Southington’s Town-wide Effort to Promote Success (STEPS) Coalition and Youth Council came to speak in support of the policy. “The only concern we heard was that somebody thought we were trying to ban tobacco products entirely from the parks and that was never our intent,” said Fasulo. He explained non-smoking signs are already posted in all of the pool areas. However, the parks board will be adding signs in areas that are in close proximity of children. The new policy states, “By order of the Southington Board […]