Kankakee City aldermen discussed a proposal to limit the number of standalone smoke shops in the city to five and to require all retailers that sell tobacco products to obtain a city license.

The council members said the cap is modeled on a population-based approach used elsewhere—one shop per 5,000 residents—and noted the city currently appears to have more standalone smoke shops than that calculation would allow. Members cited an informal count and a planning department estimate that there are nine standalone smoke shops in Kankakee.

Aldermen said the proposal would distinguish between “standalone” smoke shops and other retail outlets such as grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores. Under the approach discussed, grocery stores and gas stations that sell tobacco would still need to be licensed to sell tobacco products, but only standalone smoke shops would be limited by the cap and a separate fee structure. Members discussed an example from another municipality in which a dedicated smoke-shop license fee was $275 per year.

Council members discussed restricting transfers of standalone smoke-shop licenses until total licenses fall below the proposed cap. They said that if a shop sold to a new owner, the license would not automatically transfer while the cap remains in effect.

Aldermen noted an existing local moratorium on new smoke-shop licenses that runs through the end of the year and can be extended if needed to allow staff time to gather data and draft an ordinance. Members asked staff to compile a current list of active standalone smoke shops and to report back on whether phone calls or permit requests to the mayor’s office continue.

Members also discussed nearby jurisdictions’ approaches, saying Bradley and Bourbonnais have area controls that limit where smoke shops may locate. Aldermen suggested local changes such as geographic restrictions or separate license types could be considered in drafting an ordinance.

The discussion touched briefly on whether changes in demand for some products (participants mentioned kratom) affected the local market for smoke shops, but aldermen characterized that as an unconfirmed factor to be investigated by staff.

No formal motion or vote on an ordinance occurred at the meeting. Aldermen agreed to continue researching the options, to request a current list of active shops from the mayor’s office and planning staff, and to consider extending the moratorium if necessary.