The newly configured Hampton City Council convened January 14 for its first regular meeting of the year, with two former members returning after an unprecedented turnover two years ago.

  Four new council members won seats in the 2017 election, with no incumbents winning re-election. Two of the incumbents who lost in that race, Marty Meeks and Mary Ann Mitcham, came back with successful 2019 campaigns to return to office.

  Meeks was appointed mayor pro tem by a 6-0 vote in the first action of 2020. Errol Mitchell served in that post last year.

  Three city positions are unchanged, as city clerk Melissa Brooks, city attorney L’Erin Wiggins and prosecuting attorney Otanya Clarke were all reappointed by 6-0 votes.

  Two ordinances were addressed by the council regarding smoking in public in the city. First was the second reading of an ordinance which amends a code section to read: “Unless otherwise provided, smoking is prohibited in all public places in the city including parks and any real property owned or controlled by the city.”

  That was approved as well as a first reading of a separate ordinance defining what a public place would be where smoking is concerned. This is what that definition was determined to be:

  “Any enclosed area in which the public is permitted, including, but not limited to, restaurants, educational facilities, recreational facilities, health care facilities, child care facilities, personal care homes, intermediate care (nursing) homes, auditoriums, theaters, arenas, convention centers, meeting rooms, convention halls, and any area (enclosed or otherwise) of any public park owned or operated by the City of Hampton. Enclosed porches, courtyards or decks with a contiguous connection to a public place shall be considered a public place. A private residence is not a public place unless it is used as a child care facility, an intermediate care (nursing) home facility or a health care facility.”

  Both actions were approved by a 5-1 margin, with Mitcham casting the lone dissenting vote both times. The second reading of the second ordinance will likely be considered next month.

  The council approved a resolution in support of allowing citizens to vote on casino gambling. The resolution noted that the city “is located near a potential casino gambling site” after a recent meeting at Atlanta Motor Speedway at which the possibility of a casino resort in the immediate area was discussed.

  “The city recognizes the importance and sensitivity of this issue and the varying opinions thereto,” according to the resolution. “The city does not seek to take a position as to whether casino gambling should be allowed; rather, the city seeks to support the opportunity to allow for citizens to vote on its allowance.”

  The council approved the second reading of an ordinance that changes the city code and provides for more public comment at each regular meeting. It passed 4-2 with Errol Mitchell and Willie Turner voting against.

  According to the amended code, public comment will first be allowed for a total of 30 minutes, during which citizens may only comment on items that appear on that meeting’s agenda. During that section of the meeting, each citizen is allowed up to three minutes, and there is a 12-minute limit on discussion of any particular agenda item. That stipulation was added to the ordinance by an amended motion.

  If additional time if needed, the mayor or mayor pro tem has the authority to allow for additional time not to exceed a total of 45 minutes for the first public comment period of the meeting.

  This action was in response to a 2018 move by the council that limited public comments to 15 minutes. An attempt last November to put these new guidelines in motion failed, but since two new council members were seated this month the outcome was different (and more to the public’s liking).