The Seal Beach City Council on Monday, Sept. 23, voted 4-1 to extend an urgency ordinance that bans stores that specialize in selling e-cigarettes for 10 months and 15 days. Councilman Michael Levitt cast the dissenting vote.
That same night, the council gave a pay raise to City Manager Jill Ingram.
E-cigarette stores nixed
Staff had requested the additional time to research regulations to add to the city code. In Seal Beach, if the code doesn’t mention something then the code prohbits it.
Councilman Levitt proposed extending the ordinance for 120 days rather than 10 months. Councilman Gordon Shanks seconded his motion. However, council members David Sloan, Ellery Deaton and Mayor Gary Miller voted against Levitt’s alternative. The motion would have required four votes to pass.
Mayor Miller pointed out that the council was not banning electronic cigarettes.
In fact, they are on sale at gas stations, liquor stores and convenience stores throughout Seal Beach.
Ingram raise
The council voted unanimously to give City Manager Jill Ingram a raise from $190,000 to $210,197.50. It was Ingram’s first raise since July 2011.
Planning Commisioner Robert Goldberg said the raise was too generous. Planning Commissioner Patty Campbell said Intram was worth it.
For details on these stories, see the print edition of the Sun Newspapers on Thursday, Sept. 26.
