Ald. Jonathan Brostoff
Press Release

Council Approves Temporary Moratorium To Slow Proliferation of Vape Shops

News Release from Alderman Jonathan Brostoff

By - Feb 7th, 2023 11:23 am

An ordinance authored by Alderman Jonathan Brostoff establishing a temporary moratorium on the issuance of certificates of occupancy for establishments selling electronic cigarettes or electronic cigarette paraphernalia was approved today by the full Common Council. The file was co-sponsored by Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, Alderman Mark Borkowski, Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr., Alderman Scott Spiker, Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II and Alderman José G. Pérez.

Council file #221499 creates a moratorium, until after August 1, 2023, on the issuance of certificates of occupancy, temporary certificates of occupancy, and conditional certificates of occupancy for establishments selling electronic cigarettes or electronic cigarette paraphernalia.

Alderman Brostoff, a member of the Community and Economic Development Committee, said having the moratorium in place puts the brakes on new vape shops and allows the city some time to closely study the impacts the establishments have on city neighborhoods and residents.

“The proliferation of establishments selling electronic cigarettes or electronic cigarette paraphernalia, particularly when concentrated geographically, may have harmful impacts on the public health, safety and welfare of Milwaukee residents, and as a Council it is clearly our duty to prevent and mitigate that potential harm,” Alderman Brostoff said.

“The moratorium allows us to review the city’s existing regulatory structure for establishments selling electronic cigarettes, and to develop revised regulations that better serve the interests of the residents of Milwaukee,” he said. “I am very grateful of my colleagues for their support on this important piece of Council legislation.”

The file now goes to Mayor Cavalier Johnson for his signature.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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