Council approves ordinance restricting sale of tobacco products near schools

By Kim McDarison

An ordinance restricting the sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products near school buildings passed a third and final reading during a Fort Atkinson City Council meeting held Thursday, Feb. 17. 

First and second readings of the ordinance were approved by council on Jan. 18 and Feb. 1, respectively. 

Fort Atkinson Police Chief Adrian Bump, writing in a memo to council, noted that the intent of the ordinance is to prevent future retail stores which sell tobacco and tobacco-related products from opening within 1,000 feet of a school building within the city.  

“Only those establishments which derive more than 50% of their gross income from the sale of tobacco, nicotine products, electronic smoking devices and/or electronic smoking device paraphernalia shall be subject to this ordinance,” language within the ordinance states. 

As of this year, Bump wrote in his memo, the city will see the addition of a second retail store focusing on the sale of smoking products opening near the high school.  

During discussion, City Manager Rebecca Houseman LeMire noted that the new ordinance will affect any new businesses choosing to locate in Fort Atkinson and will not apply to businesses that have already been approved. 

Smoke shops located within the city of Fort Atkinson include Vapor 101, 1309 Madison Ave., and Tobacco Land, Inc., 211 Washington St. 

Members of the city’s Plan Commission recently approved signage for a third shop: X-Treme Smoke, which will be locating at 1642 Madison Ave. 

Earlier stories about the ordinance are here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/council-approves-first-reading-of-ordinance-limiting-proximity-of-smoke-shops-to-schools/, and here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/proposed-ordinance-limits-proximity-of-smoke-shops-to-high-school/.