TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. – Town Board members are proposing to ban all smoking on town-owned property after finding that some pot smokers have not developed a sense of courtesy about where they consume their cannabis.

Councilman Rocco Secreto during a meeting Thursday said the draft regulation became necessary because people have been unable to enjoy town parks without having someone light up nearby.

“Since the new marijuana law went into effect, we’ve had a lot of seniors sitting (at town parks) looking at the water enjoying themselves, but then there would be people smoking pot next to them,” he said.

“With our summer camp coming up I thought it would be right that … we adopt a policy of no smoking on any town property,” Secreto said. “(It) includes the Highway Department and the Water Department and it would be up to the department heads to enforce it.”

Secreto added that there is also an absence of respect among cigarette smokers who leave their butts around Town Hall during court nights.

“There’s a little section where people (could) go off and smoke,” he said. “Cigarette butts are all over the parking lot.”

Under the law, prohibited activities would also include the use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices.

The resolution notes that state Clean Indoor Air Act provisions “effectively prohibits smoking and vaping in almost all public and private indoor workplaces as well as numerous specified outdoor areas.”

Under the proposed town law, violators “shall be subject to criminal prosecution and if found guilty (smokers would) be sentenced to a term of imprisonment up to 15 days and/or $2,000 for each violation.”

Properties covered under the law would be Town Hall, town Highway Department complex, Robert Post Park, Charles Rider Park, Orlando Street Ball Park, and town mini-parks.

Officials expect to set a public hearing for their May 19 meeting.

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Originally Appeared Here