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Chair Blank inquired if he understood correctly that if someone does something in his <br />property that causes injury to someone else and there is nothing in the Code that prohibits <br />that action, there is nothing the City can do about it. <br />Ms. Harryman replied that it would depend on what was being done. She explained that, <br />as an example, if a person had a use permit for a business and he or she was doing <br />something that was injuring a neighbor and was in violation of that use permit, the City <br />can enforce the Code. She added that the City could make wood burning in the backyard <br />prohibited. <br />Chair Blank noted that if the City Code prohibits hazardous materials emanating from <br />one property that is injurious to another, and outside smoke wafting from one property to <br />the other could be considered hazardous, then the City should be able to enforce the <br />Code. He added that smoke which would require a neighbor to get medical attention <br />could be considered hazardous. <br />Ms. Harryman replied that she did not see in the Code any specification of smoke as a <br />hazardous material. She added that hazardous materials are addressed by the Fire <br />Department and that the Fire Code would have a list of these materials. <br />Commissioner Pearce noted that the Code includes a discussion of areas where cigarette <br />smoking is prohibited smoking such as around playgrounds. She inquired if this would <br />be something that could be discussed as air pollutant sources. Ms. Stern replied that the <br />General Plan considers air pollution in generally and that she was not certain if this could <br />be included in the General Plan as it is more of ahealth-related issue rather than <br />development-related. She noted that if there were a Public Health Element, it might be <br />included there rather than under air quality. <br />Ms. Harryman noted that the City has a comprehensive smoking ordinance. <br />Commissioner Pearce inquired if it would require an entire neighborhood to call in <br />complaints for BAAQMD to consider something like wood smoke to be a widespread, <br />public nuisance. Ms. Harryman replied that she did not know how BAAQMD operated <br />and how it specifically handled complaints. <br />Chair Blank noted that the discussion was drifting from the General Plan and suggested <br />that this be agendized for a future meeting. <br />Ms. Harryman noted that it appears all the Commissioners are interested in this topic. <br />Commissioner Olson confirmed this is a matter of concern to the Commission. <br />Ms. Harryman read from a BAAQMD document the list of exemptions from its open <br />burning regulations exemptions, including fire-setting for cooking for food for human <br />beings and fire-setting for recreation purposes using charcoal and a small amount of fire <br />starter. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, February 20, 2008 Page 8 of 18 <br />