TIFTON — City leaders did not approve or deny a permit for a downtown cigar lounge at the council meeting Monday because there was no quorum.

The mayor and one councilman were not present while another councilman was the person submitting the new business request.

A proposal for a conditional use permit to allow the operation of a cigar lounge at 214 Main Street and grant an alcohol license to the business, submitted by councilman Lester Cromer, was presented at the April 1 meeting.

Loretta Hylton, a representative of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission, which advises the city on zoning projects, explained the property is now zoned Commercial Downtown and is being used for retail.

Hylton said the planning and zoning commission recommended approval, but said questions had been raised over the planned methods of air quality control.

The absence of councilman Michael Franks and vice mayor Josh Reynolds, as well as the fact that Cromer submitted the project, prevented the council from having a voting quorum to properly vote on the measure.

Residents were still allowed to voice their opinions in a public hearing.

Cromer said the lounge, named “Downtown on Main,” would be a hotspot for cigar enthusiasts, and would help revitalize the downtown area and bring in foot traffic not only from the local community, but tourists as well.

He explained the lounge would come equipped with what he called top of the line smoke control and air purification systems, applied on the ceiling, walls and floors of the inside of the building, and that he would collaborate with the city fire and code departments to ensure his business was kept up to standard.

Cromer provided a short video demonstrating the effectiveness of the smoke control system, Blue Ox commercial air cleaner, during his presentation, in which the cleaner fully cleared a smoke bomb set off inside a tractor trailer within five minutes.

Additionally, he reported that the lounge would also serve spirits, craft beer and specialty coffees, offer a membership program with exclusive discounts and events and partner with downtown restaurants to provide customers food ordering services.

County commissioner Melissa Hughes was also in favor of the lounge’s development, citing that it was among the many kinds of businesses Tifton does not have, meaning residents must leave the city to enjoy, and she questioned why this has to be the case.

However, Lee Turner, owner of Bula’s Antiques, protested the application. A volunteer with the American Cancer Society, Turner highlighted the dangers of secondhand smoking, arguing that even the air purification systems wouldn’t eliminate its risks. He urged the council to protect the community’s right to breathe cleanly in workplaces.

John Bowen of 31 North Real Estate agreed that smoking is indeed unhealthy, but disputed that was enough grounds to deny permitting for the lounge.

“It’s obviously no secret that smoking can be harmful — that secondhand smoking can be harmful,” Bowen said. “That would run alongside overeating and over drinking. There are lots of vices that are certainly harmful when not exercised or enjoyed in moderation.”

Due to the council lacking a voting quorum with Cromer recused, city attorney Rob Wilmot suggested adding the proposal to the next meeting agenda as a discussion item, when the entire council would be present.

The council agreed and plans to discuss the proposal in more depth at the April 15 meeting.