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Council adopts ordinance restricting vape and tobacco shops near schools and parks; approves grants and other items
Summary
The City Council passed Ordinance No. 2026-10 to require permits and prohibit retail tobacco/vape businesses within 300 feet of schools, parks and youth facilities. Council also approved a grant agreement with OWRB and other routine items; staff flagged possible further refinement to include the "family friendly" district.
The council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 2026-10, which adds a new municipal permit requirement and prohibits businesses whose principal purpose is selling tobacco, vapor products and electronic smoking devices from locating within 300 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds and certain youth facilities.
The ordinance text — presented by staff — establishes definitions, a permit requirement and penalties. Staff said the currently open retail prospects being discussed would not be within 300 feet of restricted sites and therefore would not be affected by the change; the council discussed but did not add an immediate blanket exclusion for the city’s "family friendly" downtown district and agreed that additional district-level restrictions could be reviewed by the planning commission at a later date.
Councilmember discussion focused on legal limits to local regulation and on public-health concerns. The planning attorney noted some state statutory limits on local restrictions but indicated zoning-based limits and permitting are allowable when not outright prohibitory; council members cited rising youth vaping as a rationale to restrict locations near schools.
Votes and related actions at the meeting: - Ordinance No. 2026-10 (tobacco/vapor retailers): motion to approve carried by roll call (ordinance adopted; emergency clause not adopted). - Item 7: Approved a professional services agreement with Cimarron Valley Engineering LLC for engineering design on the City of Perry Booster Pump Station water system improvements (staff said the project is grant-funded and requires no city operating funds). - Executive-session follow-up: Council authorized the city manager to finalize contract negotiations with police and fire following an executive session. - Perry Municipal Authority: Approved an Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) state ARPA interest earnings grant (SAI260005G) in the amount of $1,200,000 and authorized the chairman to execute related documents.
Why it matters: The new ordinance creates a locational buffer intended to reduce youth exposure to tobacco and vape retailers and formalizes a municipal permitting requirement for businesses that primarily sell those products. The OWRB grant and engineering agreement support water and infrastructure projects the city said are part of ongoing recovery and capital work.
Next step: Staff will publish the ordinance and proceed with permitting; the planning commission may be asked to consider further district-level adjustments if council requests.
