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PUBLIC HEARINGS <br />BCC Meeting 12-20-22 <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />e AGENDA ITEM <br />Department of General Services <br />'� UutDr Parks and Recreation <br />Date: December 12, 2022 <br />To: The Honorable Board of County Commissioners <br />Through: Jason E. Brown, County Administrator <br />Michael C. Zito, Assistant County Administrator <br />Beth Powell, Parks and Recreation Director <br />From: Gustavo Vergara, Parks and Recreation Asst. Director <br />Subject: Amending Indian River Code Chapter 205. — Parks and Recreation <br />BACKGROUND: <br />On June 17, 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 105 (HB 105) amending the Florida <br />Clean Indoor Air Act (FCIAA), which allows cities and counties to restrict smoking on City and <br />County -owned public parks, excluding unfiltered cigars. This bill allows counties and <br />municipalities to restrict smoking within public beach and park boundaries under their ownership. <br />Cigarette butts are the predominant pollutant on our coastal beaches. From January 2022 to <br />October 2022, over 22,000 cigarette butts were cleaned up from the Indian River County's beaches. <br />Cleanups like those conducted by the Weekly Wednesday Warriors, International Coastal Cleanup, <br />and quarterly cleanups report cigarette butts, cigarette tips, E cigarettes, and tobacco packaging as <br />the most common pollutant on our beaches. Cigarette butts, particularly the filters, can take <br />anywhere from 18 months to 10 years to degrade. Inland parks and conservation areas are also <br />affected negatively by litter produced from cigarettes and vaping devices. <br />Staff respectfully requests that the Board of County Commissioners approve the attached ordinance <br />amending Chapter 205 (Parks and Recreation) of the Indian River County Code of Ordinances <br />making park and conservation boundaries smoke free, except for unfiltered cigars. Such <br />prohibition would be consistent with HB 105. <br />FUNDING: <br />The cost to implement the update to the Code will include replacement signage which is a budgeted <br />item in the General Fund/Parks/Other Operating Supplies account, number 00121072-035290. The <br />overall cost is estimated to be under $1,000. <br />Account Name <br />I Account Number <br />Amount <br />General Fund/Parks/Other Operating Supplies <br />00121072-035290 <br />$1,000 <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Staff recommends the Board approve the draft ordinance, amending the IRC Code to prohibit <br />smoking and vaping (excluding unfiltered cigars) in public parks and beaches. <br />119 <br />