Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey announced Thursday morning that he will sign the measure approved by the city council enacting a smoking ban in city businesses.

The council passed the city-wide ban Tuesday on a six to one vote.

All the restaurants in Omaha will be smoke-free by this fall, but stand-alone bars, keno operators and Horsemen's Park will have five years to comply.

Mayor Fahey says he favored a complete ban on smoking but he said the ban approved by the council was the best compromise.

"This ban has garnered support from our business and health community," he said. "It evolves into a total ban in five years and most importantly, in October, it eliminates the possibility of second hand smoke in the majority of public places."

Once the ordinance takes effect, smokers ticketed by police will face $100 fines for first offenses, $200 fines for second offenses and $500 fines for third offenses.

One City Council member says that the debate is not over since health advocates have been pushing for an immediate total smoking ban.

The mayor agreed with that but said the total ban was not practical right now.

He said, "The bottom line is simple. The people of Omaha deserve a smoke-free environment and this legislation is the best available tool to get us there."

Opponents wanted the right to decide whether or not their businesses should be smoke-free and some of those who operate businesses near the city limits are feeling particularly vulnerable.

Johnny Sortino's opened along L Street in 1977 and smoking was fairly common. Step inside now and you'll find plenty of customers dining in the non-smoking section.

As a restaurant employee, Angela Baker is fine with that but when her break rolls around, she chooses the smoking section and she's not happy with the smoking ban because she says, "it's not the same for everybody. If you are going to do a ban, it should be statewide. Everyone should be included. There shouldn't be some included and some aren't."

The Sortino family feels the same way.

Lu Sortino says, "It's not a full ban, it's only a partial ban. Bars can still stay open for the next five years with the smoking."

Sortino's put in the smoking and non-smoking sections to accommodate the choices of their patrons.

Lu says, "There are a lot of people who are glad we still have smoking because they've said so."

But now they worry about losing longtime customers who can easily go just a few blocks down the road to Ralston. Their own employee, Angela Baker, is one of them.

"I would probably be more likely to go to a restaurant in Ralston and La Vista than Omaha because I prefer to have a cigarette with my dinner," she said. "I probably won't go to the restaurants I usually go to because I won't be able to smoke there."

While Mayor Fahey said Thursday that he's prepared to sign the ban approved Tuesday, he's holding off until he sees what becomes of Councilman Frank Brown's attempt to win approval of a total ban.