Old Lyme — The Board of Selectmen began discussing Monday a potential no-smoking policy for town properties, including beaches, parks and town-owned facilities and surrounding grounds. 

Members of the town's Safety Committee had raised the idea, following two incidents in which cigarettes discarded outside Town Hall led to small fires, First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder said.

Smoking is not allowed in the building.

During the first incident, which occurred a couple of years ago, a small fire started from a cigarette that was discarded on mulch near the rear entrance of Town Hall, she said. The fire department extinguished the small fire, after an employee noticed it.

In the second incident, someone passing by Town Hall noticed smoke, which again had been caused by a cigarette tossed onto mulch outside of Town Hall, she said at Monday's Board of Selectmen meeting.

"Of course, that is a risk, and with so much focus on smoking today and trying to get people to not impose their smoking habits on other people, the subject came up about adopting a no-smoking policy in town," Reemsnyder said.

She said she couldn't be sure if the smokers involved in the incidents were employees or people visiting Town Hall.

Reesmsnyder also noted that cigarette butts get buried in the sand at beaches and are difficult for beach cleaners to remove.

Members of the Safety Committee, which comprises representatives from the town's departments and focuses on the safety of town employees, had "two schools of thought" about the potential policy, she said.

"Some people on the Safety Committee felt it would be very difficult to enforce," she said. "Some felt that it was worth doing anyway, because we're making a statement about the dangers of smoking and the cost to the general public for other people's habits."

But Reemsnyder said that just because the smoking ban could be difficult to enforce does not mean the policy wouldn't still be helpful.

The selectmen said they will review a sample policy, no-smoking signs and information from other towns that the Safety Committee provided them.

Reemsnyder held up photos of signs from other towns that ban smoking in certain areas, including one from Old Saybrook that said effective May 1, 2014, all parks, beaches and facilities will be tobacco-free.

In Connecticut, smoking is not allowed inside state park facilities, but there is no ban on smoking on state park grounds, state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Schain said Tuesday. 

The department asks smokers to be respectful of nonsmokers and to properly dispose of cigarette butts.

At Monday's meeting, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal commended the efforts to make town facilities safe.

She also mentioned that she has heard from residents this summer about tobacco and cigarette butts on beaches.

She said the selectmen would have to discuss details, including whether or not the policy would apply to town vehicles, if they move forward with it.

Selectman Skip Sibley noted that some people still smoke.

The draft policy states that if the use of tobacco products is permitted in a designated location near a facility, the location needs to be clearly identified and posted.

He recommended gathering more feedback from town departments and the Parks and Recreation Commission.

"I really applaud this initiative," Sibley said. "I think it says the right thing."

The selectmen took no action Monday, but Reemsnyder said she wanted to bring the matter to the selectmen to "start the conversation" and then report back to the committee.

k.drelich@theday.com