Oxnard City Council to consider cap on tobacco retailers: What to know

The Oxnard City Council on Tuesday will consider limiting the number of permits for tobacco retailers in Ventura County’s largest city to 100, potentially shaving the number of outlets by more than a third over time.

City officials are proposing the cap to reduce the number of retailers to the levels in other Ventura County cities of similar size and encourage compliance with state laws banning sales to minors.

Officials said 154 tobacco retailers now hold permits to operate in the city of more than 200,000. Officials said 113 exist in Ventura, 99 in Simi Valley and 66 in Thousand Oaks.

If adopted, the limit would be the first of its kind in Oxnard, Deputy City Attorney Andrew Gonzalez said. He was unaware of limits in any other Ventura County city, but he added that the Oxnard limit is modeled on one in San Francisco.

The total number of permits would drop to 100 as new permits are sought and stores are sold or closed, Gonzalez said.

Anyone who already has a tobacco retailer permit can keep it, Gonzalez said.

"This cap does not reduce the amount of establishments that currently exist," he said.

An ordinance to limit the number of tobacco retailers is scheduled to be introduced at Tuesday's council meeting. If council members decide to pursue the measure further, a vote could take place at the July 16 or July 30 council meeting, according to another deputy attorney, Jason Zaragoza.

If approved, the limit would take effect 30 days later.

Efforts to set a limit started in May when city staff received instructions from the city council’s Community Services, Public Safety, Housing and Development Committee.

The committee also asked for a few exceptions to the rules.

For example, the cap won't affect a tobacco retailer’s spouse, domestic partner or adult children if they seek the permit at the same location after the retailer's death or a divorce.

The cap also would not apply to a tobacco retailer forced to move because of a government order.

Limiting the number of retailers will make it easier to enforce state laws prohibiting sales of cigarettes and tobacco products to minors, Gonzalez said.

The permits cover vaping products that are popular with young people, he said. Flavored tobacco products are already banned, the attorney said.

In addition to a city permit, retailers must maintain a state tobacco retailer's license, according to oxnard.gov.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. at its chambers, 305 W. Third St.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached atdave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.