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Ordinance committee opens public hearing on vape-shop registration changes; advances measure to Common Council
Summary
The committee opened a public hearing on proposed changes to the vape-shop ordinance that move registration duties to the City Clerk; a resident urged stronger education and caps on shop numbers. The committee voted to forward the ordinance to the Common Council.
The Norwalk City Ordinance Committee on March 18 opened a public hearing on proposed amendments to the city’s vape-shop ordinance and voted to send the ordinance to the Common Council for formal public hearing and final action.
At the hearing, Diane Loracella (21 Little Fox Lane) said she supports committee review of vape-shop rules but urged stronger language requiring public education and consideration of limits on the number of shops. “I wanted to say I was very happy that this committee has been looking at vape shops,” Loracella told the committee, and she asked that educational responsibilities not be lost if registration shifts to the City Clerk.
Why it matters: the draft moves registration responsibilities to the City Clerk from the director of health and possibly the board of health, according to the committee discussion. Residents and public-health advocates said they are concerned that shifting administrative duties could reduce active public education about vaping risks for youth.
Committee action: After the public-comment period, committee members moved the vape-shop ordinance to the Common Council. Chair Lisa Shanahan reported a 6-0 vote in favor of referring the ordinance to the Council.
Public comment and committee response: Loracella requested that the committee consider adding education requirements and requested a public hearing on related chapters (chapter 94 and citation procedures). Committee members acknowledged her concerns and confirmed that the Common Council public-hearing process would allow additional public input.
What’s next: The ordinance will appear for Common Council public hearing and final consideration; committee members and staff said they expect public hearings at the council level before any ordinance could be adopted.
Ending: The committee closed the ordinance-level public hearing and advanced the draft to the Common Council for the required public hearing and vote.
