By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham officials will be looking for public comment on a proposed citywide smoking ban Nov. 9, as the city holds its first public hearing on the matter.

The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Pelham Civic Complex, and will allow the city’s business owners and residents to address the Pelham City Council and share their thoughts on the matter.

“All residents and business owners are invited to attend and gain information about this ordinance and ask any questions,” Pelham Mayor Don Murphy wrote in a press release. “We would like to have your input on this ordinance as we move forward.”

The announcement of the public forum came a few days after Murphy requested the council begin considering a citywide smoking ordinance. Murphy told the council he would like to see the city become “100 percent non-smoking.”

Pelham’s neighboring Alabaster passed a resolution Oct. 21 allowing all restaurants and hotels in the city to declare themselves either smoking or non-smoking.

Alabaster’s ordinance bans smoking in all establishments declared non-smoking, and does not allow smoking within 25 feet of any entrance to the establishment.

The Alabaster ordinance also requires all restaurant and hotel owners in the city to post conspicuous signs on their establishments declaring their smoking status.

Murphy said the hearing is the city’s first step toward possibly passing a smoking ordinance.

After the meeting, the City Council will take all public comments into consideration before discussing the matter and possibly drafting a resolution to vote on during one of the council’s regular meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month at Pelham City Hall.