The City Council reversed itself this afternoon and agreed to rescind an ordinance it passed last fall to ban smoking in restaurants.
During a brief debate at a work session, five of seven council members said they favored repealing the ordinance, which passed 7-1 in October.
The council is slated to formally vote on repealing the ban at 7 p.m.
The smoking ban, scheduled to be the first in Virginia, was to go into effect Monday. Council members had second thoughts largely because they worried that Norfolk restaurants would lose business to surrounding cities.
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Finally! Maybe Now the council woman will do
the people's business. The taxpayer's business and not the few that can afford to dine out - I don't know of anyone outside of norfolk that actually comes to Norfolk to Dine out, hang out, oh, excuse me, maybe the folks in Portsmouth will venture to Norfolk. So, lady council person can we start with the big important issues that you were placed in office for....Ward 2 is a big area and it's not just Ghent & Larchmont - let's start with the roads - everywhere outside of downtown and ghent and larchmont the roads - then crime is random, car breakin's are random and it's nice to see the police patroling but they don't fix the roads that are deteriorating at a rapid pace, Come venture out, see for your self and while venturing out, start at the intersection of willowwood dr. and tidewater dr. Atrocious! 2010 will be here before you know it but right now, may '08 is here and it's time for change. if not the roads then ineffective representation.