The ban, if approved, would be in effect for all governmental buildings owned/leased by either the county or city.

The health board will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25 at the Person County Human Services Building.

Barring a drastic change of heart by the health board, the smoking ban will likely be approved that same night following the hearing. If so, it would likely be put in place beginning April 1.

That was the word from Person County Health Director Janet Clayton Tuesday night when she addressed Roxboro City Council at its regular monthly meeting at City Hall.

Clayton, along with Person County Manager Steve Carpenter, told council that the health board, along with the Person Board of County Commissioners, favors the countywide smoking ban in governmental buildings. Their main purpose Tuesday, both said, was to get council’s nod to proceed.

“They can do this without the approval of either board,” Carpenter told council, referring also to the board of county commissioners. “Our board is happy with it.”

Councilwoman Merilyn Newell said she felt the “health department should have jurisdiction…to protect the public.”

While council did not vote on the issue, it appeared the consensus of the five-member board favored the health board taking the lead.

When Clayton asked if she correctly assumed council wished for the health board to proceed, Roxboro Mayor Tom Brown said, “That is correct.”

Earlier, Clayton told council there were three possible methods for banning smoking in publicly owned or leased buildings.

One, she said, would be the preferable route of the county health board addressing both city and county buildings in an ordinance to “ensure more uniformity.”

The other methods would be ordinances from city council and county commissioners pertaining to their own buildings, while a third option would be simply implementing a policy against smoking in the facilities.

If the health board passed the ordinance, Clayton said, there would be “no exceptions.”

“One person’s health is just as important as the next person’s,” she added.

Roxboro City Manager Jon Barlow, like Carpenter, agreed that a “uniform policy makes the most sense.”

Carpenter added that “what we really need you all to do is either authorize us to control our buildings in the city or throw in with us and get it all done at one time.”

Clayton and Carpenter each said the smoking ban had the blessing of Person County Sheriff Dewey Jones.

Jones reportedly told Clayton that the Person County jail was one of only three in the area that still allows smoking. That comment came after speculation from Councilman Sandy Stigall regarding banning smoking at the jail.

The smoking ban, if implemented, would not allow smoking at entrances to governmental buildings or close to air intakes for the buildings, Clayton said. The ordinance would also call for setbacks of 35 feet at the Person County Health Department and the Department of Social Services.

Setbacks would not be in place at buildings such as the Person County Courthouse or City Hall, she added.

Persons found to be in violation of the proposed ordinance, Clayton said, would receive an oral warning initially. A formal warning would then follow that if a second violation took place. Violations after the second warning could result in a Class I misdemeanor charge and a fine of $200, she explained.

Clayton said she was pointing for implementing the proposed ordinance on April 1. That, she said, would give her office “at least a month to educate the public.”

Following the January meeting of the county health board, Clayton said the smoking ban was met favorably.

“The Board of Health supports a ban of smoking in governmental owned/leased buildings,” Clayton said following the January meeting.