GARLAND (1080 KRLD) – City leaders in Garland are considering making the town “smoke free.”

The Garland City Council is considering a new ordinance that would restrict smoking in bars and restaurants. Garland is one of the few north Texas cities that still allows smoking in public places.

A committee began studying changes to the current rules last year.

“The Community Services Committee initially considered changes in March of 2017, and the initial consideration was an provision that would prohibit smoking near entrances to a building,” said Jason Chessher, Director of Health, But in August, the Committee had a new request – to survey how other cities in DFW regulate smoking. Dallas, Arlington and Plano already prohibit smoking in public places, and a new Fort Worth ordinance will go into effect later this year.

The Committee had the staff draft a smoke-free ordinance for Garland. “It’s very similar to ordinances for almost all other Metroplex cities,” Chessher said.

At this point, the ordinance is still just a proposal.

“I’d like to see us get some input from the business owners that would be impacted by this ordinance,” said Council Member B. J. Williams. Mayor Douglas Athas said the Council would hold two public hearings on the proposal before taking a vote.

Some business owners have already made their feelings known

. Council Member Rich Aubin says he has already had discussions with two restaurants in his district that would be affected by the change. “Two of the locations where there is smoking in Garland…are the Beef House and the Goldmine,” he said. “My understanding is they are supportive of this change. Their primary concern was that the change affect both of them.”