CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP 8/25/26

The City of Greer held a City Council workshop on August 25, 2026, focused on the regulation of smoke and vape shops within the city. Council members discussed potential ordinance options including classifying smoke and vape shops as a distinct business category, establishing distance requirements between shops to prevent clustering, and requiring special exceptions for locations in overlay districts. The discussion highlighted concerns about signage violations, underage sales enforcement, and the presence of drug paraphernalia. Staff noted that current regulations treat these shops as general retail with some signage restrictions, and enforcement challenges exist due to limited resources. Council members expressed a preference to first enhance enforcement of existing regulations, particularly signage and underage sales laws, before considering new restrictions. The workshop concluded with a consensus to increase enforcement efforts and monitor compliance over the next six to eight months, while recognizing that broader legislative action at the state level might be necessary for more comprehensive regulation.