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Riverside council extends moratorium on new tobacco retail permits after safety review
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously Oct. 20 to extend an urgency moratorium on new tobacco retail permits for 10 months and 15 days while staff and public-safety partners study illicit sales, enforcement gaps and proximity of outlets to youth-serving sites.
The Riverside City Council voted Oct. 20 to extend an urgency moratorium on new tobacco retail permits while city staff and public-safety agencies continue an investigation into illicit sales and neighborhood impacts.
City staff told the council that the city currently lists roughly 226 locations that sell tobacco products and that enforcement and licensing work has uncovered illegal products and sales at a subset of those outlets. The staff presentation recommended extending the moratorium (presentation referenced an urgency ordinance numbered in the session as "7 7 3 3") for 10 months and 15 days to allow time for a study and policy updates.
"Estamos trabajando con la ciudad, es el en el estado de California, con una agencia de impuestos, con agencias de seguridad y todos relacionados a una cadena con productos ilegales," a staff presenter said while describing enforcement partnerships and the types of illegal products found. City staff highlighted enforcement statistics and penalties for violations, and said some businesses have had permits revoked while continuing to operate.
Public commenters and community groups urged the council to keep the moratorium in place while the city crafts stronger rules for retail placement near schools and parks. Paloma Montes, speaking during the public-comment period, said in Spanish: "Por favor, apoyen el de 10 meses ... que se alinea con nuestra prioridad de póliza para colaborar con la ciudad del Riverside para limitar la ubicación de tiendas en próximas espacios de la juventud." Another speaker from a youth-serving nonprofit, Megan Russo of Inland Empire Youth, said the pause would give families and officials time to shape protective policy.
Council members cited repeated calls to address concentrated storefronts, neighborhood calls for enforcement, and links between some stores and increased emergency calls for public disorder. After deliberation the council member moving the item put forward the staff recommendation to adopt the extension; the transcript records the motion as approved "La moción fue unánime." The transcript does not record a roll-call tally by name.
What happens next: staff will continue investigations, coordinate with county and state partners, and return to the council with recommended ordinance language and enforcement procedures during the moratorium period. The council directed staff to pursue policy options that could limit new retail permits near youth-serving sites and strengthen revocation processes for illegal sales.
