From: Clerk
To:
Subject: FW: Input re Tobacco and Smoke Shops
Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 11:14:19 AM
Office of the City Clerk
-----Original Message-----
From: Patricia Brown
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2025 10:18 PM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Input re Tobacco and Smoke Shops
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
2/21/25
Despite the City budget need for small business revenue, and, as a long-term, 32-year resident of Fresno, I am against anything that expands tobacco and smoke shops in our city. The rapidity of addiction of developing young brains targeted by tobacco companies, the inability and enforcement costs to monitor the sterilization of hookas, and the documented adverse effects upon public health are all strong factors in defeating any expansion.
Patricia Brown
Fresno, CA 93727
cc: Dyer, Council members, Districts
1-7
Sent from my iPhone
From: Clerk
To:
Cc: Clerk
Subject: FW: City Council MeetingFebruary 27, 2025.
Date: Monday, February 24, 2025 11:46:06 AM
From: carmen
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2025 11:24 AM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council MeetingFebruary 27, 2025.
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Re 15-2761 and 15-6802 Text:Tobacco and Vapor Sales, Smoke Shops and Definitions Good morning:
Please count me in as fully supportive of the more appropriate and enhanced regulatory component indicated in Tabacco and Vapor sales Smoke Shops and Definitions indicated in the above subject line.
I have lived in this neighborhood for over 25 years and witness the proliferation of these nuisance businesses. There are several smoke shops walking distance from my home that consistently are used by vagrants that hide in our alley, use it as a toilet, leave trash that the City's code enforcement then is called to dispose of. The cost to the city must be high given the almost 400 such businesses that now exist.
Sales obviously are being made to those under age not only in this Fresno neighborhood but others. Moreover, students at Fresno Unified School District are being sold vapes that disrupt their learning and health. See the following:
I look forward to seeing the new text approved as an ordinance.
Kind regards,
Carmen Navarro
Council District 3
copies:
Mayor Jerry Dyer
Council president
Mike Karbassi
Council-members:
Miguel Arias
Nelson Esparza
Tyler Maxwell
Annalisa Perea
Nick Richardson
From: Clerk
To:
Cc: Clerk
Subject: City Council MeetingFebruary 27, 2025.
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 8:21:29 AM
From: Joshua Serpa
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2025 11:17 PM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council MeetingFebruary 27, 2025.
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Re 15-2761 and 15-6802 Text:Tobacco and Vapor Sales, Smoke Shops and Definitions
Here’s an expanded and more detailed version of your message:
Subject: Full Support for Strengthened Tobacco & Vapor Sales Regulations Good evening,
Please count me as fully supportive of stronger and more appropriate regulatory measures regarding tobacco and vapor sales, as well as the revised definitions and oversight of smoke shops outlined in the above subject line.
I have lived in this neighborhood for three and a half years and have personally witnessed the rapid surge of these establishments, which have brought a surge of negative consequences to our community. Within walking distance of my home alone, multiple smoke shops have become magnets for criminal activity and public disturbances. These businesses often serve as gathering points for vagrants who loiter in our alleyways, using them as makeshift toilets and dumping grounds for trash—waste that ultimately falls on the city’s code enforcement to clean up.
Even more concerning, we are now facing an alarming rise in youth and homeless individuals engaging in smoking, drug use, and vandalism—not just targeting local businesses but also damaging our residential properties. At all hours of the night, these individuals roam through our streets, breaking windows, defacing homes, and creating an unpredictable, unsafe, and increasingly hostile environment for families, homeowners, and law-abiding residents. This is not the neighborhood we fell in love with, nor the one we envision for the future.
We, as a community, take immense pride in our homes and surroundings, and we are determined to re-elevate this area to the safe, welcoming place it once was. Strengthening the regulatory framework around smoke shops is a crucial step in restoring order and security to our streets. I urge the city to take decisive action in addressing this growing issue.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Josh Serpa
Council District 3
copies:
Mayor Jerry Dyer
Council president
Mike Karbassi
Council-members:
Miguel Arias
Nelson Esparza
Tyler Maxwell
Annalisa Perea
Nick Richardson
From: Clerk
To:
Cc: Clerk
Subject: City Council MeetingFebruary 27, 2025.
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 8:21:56 AM
From: Joshua Serpa com>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2025 11:25 PM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council MeetingFebruary 27, 2025.
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Re 15-2761 and 15-6802 Text:Tobacco and Vapor Sales, Smoke Shops and Definitions Good evening,
Please count me as fully supportive of stronger and more appropriate regulatory measures regarding tobacco and vapor sales, as well as the revised definitions and oversight of smoke shops outlined in the above subject line.
I have lived in this neighborhood for three and a half years and have personally witnessed the rapid surge of these establishments, which have brought a surge of negative consequences to our community. Within walking distance of my home alone, multiple smoke shops have become magnets for criminal activity and public disturbances. These businesses often serve as gathering points for vagrants who loiter in our alleyways, using them as makeshift toilets and dumping grounds for trash—waste that ultimately falls on the city’s code enforcement to clean up.
Even more concerning, we are now facing an alarming rise in youth and homeless individuals engaging in smoking, drug use, and vandalism—not just targeting local businesses but also damaging our residential properties. At all hours of the night, these individuals roam through our streets, breaking windows, defacing homes, and creating an unpredictable, unsafe, and increasingly hostile environment for families, homeowners, and law-abiding residents. This is not the neighborhood we fell in love with, nor the one we envision for the future.
We, as a community, take immense pride in our homes and surroundings, and we are determined to re-elevate this area to the safe, welcoming place it once was. Strengthening the regulatory framework around smoke shops is a crucial step in restoring order and security to our streets. I urge the city to take decisive action in addressing this growing issue.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Josh Serpa
Council District 3
copies:
Mayor Jerry Dyer
Council president
Mike Karbassi
Council-members:
Miguel Arias
Nelson Esparza
Tyler Maxwell
Annalisa Perea
Nick Richardson
From: Clerk
To:
Cc: Clerk
Subject: FW: Subject: ID 25-132 Hearing for Consideration of Text Amendment relating to Tobacco and Vape Sales, Smoke Shops and Definitions
Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 8:24:30 AM
From: Ismael Gimeno
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 6:01 PM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Subject: ID 25-132 Hearing for Consideration of Text Amendment relating to Tobacco and Vape Sales, Smoke Shops and Definitions
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Good Afternoon,
This letter is to express my strongest support to the approval of subject item to be addressed by the Fresno Council Meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 27, 2025. Item ID: 25-132.
As a resident of Fresno for the past 10 years, I am very concened by the proliferation of Smoke Shops and all the illegal activities conducted in some of them, as identified in the final version of the CAPP Powerpoint presentation submitted to the Fresno Mayor and the Fresno City Council Members.
Fresno is a growing, vibrant City that needs to maintain a livable environment for the current and new residents. Some of the violations documented in the CAPP report are very detrimental to our quality of life here. They generate and amplify violence and addiction, to youngsters and adults. In many cases not only affecting delinquents and violent people but also innocent/productive members of the community who were innocent bystanders to the acts of the violence
perpetrated by those delinquents.
Financial considerations, such as revenue from those businesses, should not be an obstacle to having safe legislation for the community. Legal tobacco and/or vape business who play by the rules and also provide revenue to the City of Fresno. Please, let’s weed out the dangerous and illegal ones.
I look forward to the Fresno City Council approving the text of the proposed measure, not only because it is best for the community that they are serving, but also because it is the right thing to do for us, our children, and grandchildren.
Respectfully,
Ismael Gimeno
Cell:
Email:
"Traveler, there is no path, the path is made by walking". Antonio Machado
From: Clerk
To:
Cc: Clerk
Subject: Public Comment: Agenda Date 2/27/25; ID: 25-132 Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 9:02:11 AM
From: Dulce Velazquez
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 9:00 AM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Public Comment: Agenda Date 2/27/25; ID: 25-132
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Hello, this is public comment for item: 25-132: Tobacco and Vapor Saes, Smoke Shops, Definitions.
"My name is Dulce Velazquez and I am a member of the Fresno County Tobacco-Free Coalition and resident of Fresno, District 2. While the Coalition appreciates the intentions behind the smoke shop ordinance, we also ask you to consider the public health impacts of all tobacco retailers on our communities. Regardless of type, these stores contribute to the oversaturation of tobacco availability and exacerbate health inequalities in Fresno.
Unfortunately, the Smoke Shop Ordinance and existing ordinances, such as the Responsible Neighborhood Market Act, do not regulate tobacco products, including flavors.
While smoke shops are a concern, the need to address illegal tobacco sales among all types of tobacco retailers is apparent, and a Tobacco Retail License (TRL) can be part of a sustainable solution. The Fresno County Tobacco-Free Coalition is well-versed in TRL ordinances and would greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue collaborating with Council on this critical public health issue. Thank you"
concerns that have emerged in the city. The evidence presented by Fresno Planning Commissioners and city officials regarding code violations at several smoke shop locations — including illegal activities such as marijuana sales, gambling, and possession of firearms — highlights the critical need for regulatory oversight. It is concerning to think that businesses operating within our community may be contributing to crime and safety hazards rather than fostering a healthy environment.
While some business owners argue that this ordinance unfairly targets them, it is important to recognize that the ordinance is not a blanket attack on small businesses but a necessary step to address violations of public safety and health regulations. The city already has the legal authority to regulate businesses that do not adhere to zoning and safety codes. The proposed action is not aimed at shutting down legitimate businesses, but rather ensuring that those who fail to meet standards are held accountable. It is also worth noting that this action is consistent with broader trends in municipal governance, where cities across the nation are taking a more cautious and regulated approach to businesses that can contribute to neighborhood blight. Much like alcohol licenses, which restrict the number of bars in a district to mitigate negative social impacts, smoke shops must be held to similar standards to ensure they are operating in a way that benefits the community and doesn’t undermine public health or safety.
Furthermore, while some may view this ordinance as overreaching, the reality is that cities are often required to balance the needs of the business community with the safety and well-being of the general public. The proposed legislation offers reasonable exemptions, such as a grandfathering process for existing businesses, which reflects a thoughtful attempt to accommodate long-standing business owners while still advancing necessary reforms.
In light of these points, we stand in strong support for City Council to adopt the proposed ordinance and take a firm stance in regulating smoke shops to ensure that they operate in a manner that aligns with the city’s public safety and community health objectives.
This ordinance will help ensure a cleaner, safer Fresno for future generations.
Thank you for considering our support for this important initiative.
In Community,
Eric Payne
Executive Director
Fresno, CA 93727