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A plumber working at the Thunder Mountain High School construction site recently reported to the city that workers were smoking inside and he wanted it to stop.

The city bans smoking at workplaces. The last phase of the city's smoking prohibition, which bans smoking in bars, went into effect Jan. 2.

Jeremy Roselle said Thunder Mountain is being built with "tobacco-stained" walls from workers' smoke as they rush to finish the school by the August deadline. He said some workers top off the indoor air pollution by throwing cigarette butts into spaces between the walls of the $60 million school.

"The walls are full of cigarette butts," he said. "It's unsanitary."

Acting on Roselle's complaint, City Manager Rod Swope advised Coogan Construction that workers could not smoke inside. The construction site is officially an enclosed workspace and therefore the city's smoking ban applies, he said.

"It's on the project supervisor to enforce it," Swope said.

Roselle said he talked with his foreman before complaining to the city and police about his colleagues' smoking habits. Originally, Roselle said Coogan management told him they were not going to enforce it and would not discuss the topic further.

Lloyd Coogan did not return a call seeking comment Thursday.

Juneau Assembly member Bob Doll said he never anticipated the "potential for nonobservance" beyond bars and clubs.

"But it's not surprising," he said.

Doll said the city administration is now effectively dealing with the complaint.

Seeing no change in behavior after his first complaint, Roselle complained to the city a second time. He said his motive is simple; he just doesn't want to be exposed to cigarette smoke.

"I tried to get them to smoke outside," Roselle said. "It's a law for a good reason."

Swope followed the second complaint by asking Juneau police to send an officer to the construction site to tell the foreman to enforce the ban and put no-smoking signs up around the school.

Signs were posted Tuesday afternoon, Swope said.

According to Roselle, a few stragglers were still smoking inside Wednesday.

Lt. Kris Sell said people don't change overnight because of an ordinance and they need time. She also said Wayne Coogan of Coogan Construction said he would get the message out.

Police will do spot checks and issue tickets to those caught smoking, Swope said.

Spots checks were made Monday and Thursday and no citations were written, Sell said.

Fines for first-time offenders are $50 and businesses face a $300 fine for failing to enforce the ban in the workplace.

"If they can't abide, they probably shouldn't be working there," Swope said.

• Contact reporter Greg Skinnerat 523-2258 or greg.skinner@juneauempire.com.