Downey City Council Meeting - 9/8/2026 - Part 2

The City of Downey Council held a regular meeting on September 8, 2026, which included presentations, public comments, and a detailed discussion on regulating the sale of nitrous oxide and kratom. The council reviewed research and regulatory options concerning the recreational misuse of nitrous oxide and synthetic kratom products, considering public health and safety impacts. They discussed three options: regulating nitrous oxide, regulating kratom (either comprehensively or targeted to synthetic products), or regulating both substances. The council voted to pursue a targeted regulatory approach that bans recreational nitrous oxide sales except for legitimate uses (medical, dental, veterinary, etc.) and prohibits synthetic kratom products exceeding a 2% concentration threshold, while allowing natural kratom for medicinal purposes. The estimated cost for ordinance preparation is $15,000 from the general fund. Other agenda items included public comments on local issues, community event announcements, and requests for future agenda items such as security camera deployment and parking fines review.