By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The village board will hear public comment at their Sept. 1 meeting on a proposed local law to ban smoking on or near more than a dozen municipal properties.

Mayor Tim Currier said he reached out to the Seaway Valley Prevention Council for advice after receiving complaints about people smoking near the entrance of the Community Center on Beach Street.

The proposal would prohibit “the use or disposal of tobacco products … within 25 feet of any of our properties,” Currier said. That includes smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes, despite the fact that e-cigarettes vaporize tobacco-free fluid instead of burning actual tobacco leaves.

Violations can incur a $50 penalty for the first offense. A second offense within a calendar year could draw a $100 fine, according to a draft law.

The prevention council’s agenda includes “denormalizing” tobacco use, SVPC Community Engagement Coordinator Chelsea Bartlett told the board.

“We want to denormalize smoking. We know that 90 percent of smokers start before age 18,” Bartlett claimed.

The properties affected by the ban include:

• Massena Arena and the adjoining fields

• Massena Community Center, 61 Beach St.

• Department of Public Works, 85 Robinson Road

• Massena Volunteer Fire Dept., 34 Andrews St.

• Town Beach

• Wastewater treatment plant, 302 East Orvis St.

• Water treatment plant, 357 Pontoon Bridge Road

• Footbridge, Liberty Avenue

• Elm Circle park

• Veterans’ Memorial Park, Andrews Street

• North Main Street park (across from Stewart’s)

• Springs Park, West Hatfield Street

• Bushnell Field, Robinson Road

• Brighton Street park

• East Orvis Street park

• Creative Playground, Danforth Place

• Alcoa Field and park, Woodlawn Avenue