The Start of 2016 Means New Laws are Now in Effect

With the start of a brand new year comes along new laws that are now in effect across the state of Colorado, with one law directly affecting downtown Fort Collins.

If you are a smoker, don't forget today starts the ban on smoking at any public property in downtown Fort Collins.

According to the city of Fort Collins, smoking is prohibited in the following areas and types of businesses.

• No smoking in any Fort Collins restaurants and bars.
• No smoking on or within 20 feet of outdoor dining areas or patios abutting a public right-of-way or sidewalk.
• No smoking in any places of employment, except in locations in which the City Code expressly permits smoking.
• No smoking within a 20-foot perimeter outside of the entrances, operable windows, passageways and ventilation systems of smoke-free areas, except for passersby who do not stop.
• No smoking in bowling alleys and bingo parlors.
• No smoking at any of Transfort's public transit facilities, benches, and platforms.
• 100% of hotel/motel rooms must be smoke-free.
• The use of electronic smoking devices will be prohibited in all places where conventional smoking is not allowed.

If you see smoking where it is not permitted, please report violations by calling 970-416-2200 or online using Access Fort Collins, under Nuisance Reporting.

The city of Littleton has also instituted their own no smoking ban in public places.

Also, minimum wage goes up starting today. However, it isn't the sizable increase that many workers were hoping for.

The minimum wage will jump from $8.23/hr to $8.31/hr.

The minimum for tipped workers went from $5.21/hr to $5.29/hr.