Mary Spicuzza

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Smokeless tobacco will soon be banned at Miller Park and other sporting venues in Milwaukee.

Council members voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prohibit the use of smokeless tobacco products (like chew, dip and snuff) by anyone, including on playing fields, team benches, spectator seating areas, parking lots and tailgating areas. Those who violate the ban would be subject to a $100 to $250 forfeiture.

Ald. Michael Murphy, the lead sponsor of the measure, said he hopes the ban sends a strong message to young people, many of whom see Major League baseball players as role models.

"Baseball should really be a sport promoting physical fitness, not the opposite. Which in is promoting, in this case, cancer," Murphy said.

Murphy praised sponsors and supporters of the legislation, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Community Advocates, the American Cancer Society, Major League Baseball, former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the American Lung Association.

"We fully support this initiative, and want to set an example for all Brewers fans in understanding the dangers of smokeless tobacco," the Brewers said in an statement.

Milwaukee joins a growing list of other Major League Baseball cities that have banned smokeless tobacco, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. Milwaukee's ordinance is expected to take effect in early December.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said that Washington, D.C., has also approved similar legislation, and a statewide law in California will take effect before the 2017 season. Once those laws are implemented, 12 of the 30 Major League stadiums will be tobacco-free, the group said.

Selig has been an outspoken proponent of the measure.

"During my many years in baseball, I have seen firsthand the significant detrimental effects cause by the use of smokeless tobacco," Selig wrote in a Nov. 9 letter to Murphy lauding the plan. "My position on this topic is — and has always been — that smokeless tobacco should be eliminated form the great game of Baseball."

Also on Tuesday, the Milwaukee Common Council voted to override two of Mayor Tom Barrett's 2017 budget vetoes.

Council members voted to override vetoes that dealt with creating a fund for a community disparity study and moving the emergency communications director to the city's Fire and Police Commission.

Barrett signed the city's budget plan earlier this month after vetoing four changes made by the Common Council.

While two of those vetoes were overridden, the other two were sustained. Those that were sustained removed council proposals that would have eliminated funding for children's college savings accounts and cut three police investigator positions .

RELATED: Aldermen address racial inequality, lead in budget

Supporters of the measure to move the emergency communications director to the city's Fire and Police Commission said it would improve accountability.

Those who back the disparity study measure say it will help Milwaukee address its persistent problems with racial inequality. The disparity study will try to determine the extent to which minority and women-owned businesses participate in obtaining contracts with the city in construction, professional services, and goods and services.

"This is an opportunity to unite our Milwaukee community," said Ald. Russell Stamper II, the plan's lead sponsor.

Barrett had said his veto would not prevent a disparity study from being conducted in 2018, and would allow time for a more thorough planning process.

A proposal to mandate full service line replacement in emergencies and certain other situations, which included partial coverage of owner costs by the city, stalled Tuesday.

Under that proposal, lead service line replacement would be mandatory in emergency situations — such as lead lateral fails, leaks or other damage — or when a planned infrastructure project affects a property. In those cases, Milwaukee Water Works would pay 100% of the cost for the public utility side, and residential property owners could be eligible for a cost-share plan to receive city assistance paying for the private lead lateral replacement. The city would cover two-thirds of the cost of replacing privately owned laterals if the owner agrees to have city contractors perform the work.

The goal of the proposal is to create a system for full removal of all lead service lines. If public and private property owners' lead pipes aren't replaced at the same time, lead levels in the water can spike — leading to elevated lead exposure that can linger for weeks.

RELATED:Forum stressed lead filters for city residents

Ald. Jim Bohl urged council members to advance the proposal if they agree lead — and lead poisoning — is an "urgent" issue.

But those pushing to hold the lead pipe proposal said city residents are already struggling to get by, and may not be able to afford extra costs. They also called for more time to get public input about the plan.