SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO-AM) Early this week, Sioux Falls City Council approved a watered-down outdoor smoking ban, but on Friday his office announced that Mayor Mike Huether has not signed it.
We have the whole weekend to speculate because Huether won't give us his reasons until Monday. He's scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. at City Hall. So it's unclear, for now, exactly what Huether has in mind, what signal he's trying to send, or why he just didn't give the city his reasons Friday.
Council Monday night voted 6 to 2 to put teeth essentially into existing bans against smoking at city playgrounds and where kids are involved in some activity. The original proposal, pushed by local health care leaders, would have banned outdoor smoking at all city owned properties, including on the golf course and outside the Sanford Premier Center.