Fort Wayne committee votes to add narrow cigar‑lounge exemption to city smoking code

Council members on the Fort Wayne Common Council's regulations committee voted unanimously Dec. 2 to recommend an amendment to the city's smoking ordinance that would create a narrowly defined exemption for adult‑only cigar lounges.

Councilwoman Raleigh Booker and Councilwoman Chambers, who sponsored the amendment, told colleagues the change is intended as a narrowly drawn pathway for specialized cigar establishments, not a rollback of the city's smoke‑free protections. "This amendment is not about promoting smoking," Booker said, and she characterized the proposal as "about creating a narrow, very narrow, clearly defined pathway for adult only, cigar only establishments." The sponsors said the local language is intentionally stricter than state law.

Under the proposed ordinance, a cigar lounge would be restricted to patrons who are 21 or older, would allow only cigars (no cigarettes or vaping), and would require state licensing and inspections through the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC). The amendment sets a local revenue test that differs from state rules: after one year, at least 20% of gross income must come from cigar sales and humidor rentals (the sponsors noted the state requires 10%), and no more than 60% of revenue may come from food and beverage sales. Sponsors also cited mandatory ventilation and HVAC requirements aimed at preventing smoke transfer.

Several council members pressed sponsors on enforcement and employee protections. Councilman Bender asked who would respond to complaints; presenters said enforcement would be complaint‑driven and handled locally by the Allen County Health Department and the Fire Department, while ATC would oversee licensing and percentage audits. Councilman Myers and others flagged concerns that employees in exempted lounges would not be protected from secondhand smoke and urged clarity on proactive enforcement capacity.

Sponsors replied that the proposal preserves city smoking protections for restaurants, workplaces and public spaces while creating a tightly regulated option for a specialized business model. The committee conducted a roll‑call vote that recorded unanimous support among those present, and the committee recommended the ordinance for passage (committee recommendation 9‑0). The ordinance will move forward to the full council for further consideration.

Next steps: the council will consider the ordinance at its upcoming regular session; staff said they will coordinate with enforcement agencies and ATC on implementation details.