City fed up with cigarette butts

Butts on city streets

The City of Decorah is getting fed up with cigarette smokers who put out their cigarette butts on sidewalks or streets.  A city committee is looking at ways to discourage the habit.

Community Betterment committee Chair Karen Tjossem notes, "To throw them on the street or sidewalk is against our ordinances," but catching people in the act of throwing away their cigarette butts is difficult.  Tjossem says city officials will try to education the public about the hazard the cigarette butts create.  She says her committee has also talked with Andy Nelson of the downtown SSMID committee about the possibility of SSMID buying more cigarette receptacles.