Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA -- After fiery debate, the Wasilla City Council agreed Monday to hold off on imposing a smoking ban in city-owned vehicles.

The ban was postponed until the City Council gets advice from an attorney representing the city through union negotiations. Four unions have applied to represent city employees in various departments.

The city is in the midst of negotiating contracts with two unions representing Wasilla public works employees and workers at the multi-use sports complex. Two other unions are vying to represent city Police Department employees.

Wasilla City Councilman Steve Menard pitched the tobacco ban. The city already bans smoking in city buildings, he said.

The ban should extend to all city property, including vehicles. Smoking also affects vehicle resale values, he added.

Mayor Dianne Keller said city law allows employees who are exclusively assigned a city vehicle to smoke, but only if they don't have a passenger along.

So police officers, some public works employees and some city administrators, including the mayor, are allowed to smoke in their city vehicles.

Employees who borrow a vehicle from the city fleet aren't allowed to smoke.

City public works director Archie Giddings, in response to a question from Councilman Marty Metiva, said permission to smoke in a vehicle is considered a benefit to employment by some city employees.

Menard argued that it's also a loss to the city. When the mayor's term is up in October, he said, the city could be on the hook for a new vehicle if the new mayor refuses to drive a vehicle Keller smoked in.

"The city's going to have to eat that cost," Menard said.

Wasilla purchasing officer Bill Miller said the city sells surplus items such as vehicles through an online auction site.

Because each auction depends on the whim of the bidders involved, it's hard to say whether smoked-in vehicles bring the same or less at auction as vehicles without smoke residue, he said.

Councilman Kristofer Larson said he doesn't advocate employees smoking in vehicles, but he was advised by city administrators to hold off on any employee policy changes until after the city signs its last labor contract.

"Smoking's nasty. It drives me nuts. But the issue is the legal trouble we get into when we're negotiating with the unions," Larson said. "Just wait. It's real simple."

Find Daily News reporter Rindi White online at www.adn.com/contact/rwhite or call 352-6709.

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