Smyrna beer board approves off-premise beer permit for vape and tobacco shop

The Town of Smyrna Beer Board on Feb. 3 approved an off-premise beer permit for a Smyrna vape, tobacco and beer store after a brief public hearing.

The board voted to accept the minutes from its previous meeting and then opened a public hearing on an application for an off-premise beer permit submitted in the meeting as "Adam USA Vape Tobacco and Beer." The applicant, Romani Salib, introduced himself as the store owner and described the business as a vape, beer and tobacco shop in Smyrna.

Romani Salib, the applicant, said he is the sole owner and that his brother is the only employee. Salib said the business has been operating for a little over a year and that he took ownership a little more than a month ago. He told the board the store’s posted hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and described the store’s age-verification practices: "we have the... board which shows the dates and, when it's the customer will be 21 or over... so that way, we're keeping track of and check the IDs... and then, of course, even if we are, some of the customer presenting IDs and we're not sure it's legit, so we would... refuse to sell to them," Salib said during the hearing.

After the public hearing closed, a motion to approve the off-premise beer permit application was made and seconded. Board members responded "aye" and the chair declared the motion approved; the board did not read or record individual roll-call votes in the transcript. The board told Salib the license could be picked up after 10 a.m. the next day.

The meeting also included a brief procedural vote approving the minutes from the previous meeting; that motion was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board set its next meeting for March 3. The meeting adjourned following routine closing business.