04-13-2026 - Agenda Packet City Council - Regular Meeting

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Minutes City Council Work Session Monday, March 9, 2026, 5:00 PM City Council Chambers 12780 Kelley Parkway, Orono, MN 55356 ROLL CALL Council members present: Mayor Bob Tunheim, Alisa Benson, Jacqueline Ricks, Jon Schwingler, Steve Persian Staff present: City Clerk Christine Lusian and Community Development Director Laura Oakden. TOBACCO ORDINANCE The City Council held a work session to review the City's tobacco regulations for consistency with state and county standards and to discuss potential future goals or initiatives. Representatives from Hennepin County Public Health and the Association for Nonsmokers provided an overview of the city's existing ordinance, recent state and federal updates, tobacco industry trends, and public health impacts, including effects of nicotine on youth, healthcare costs, lost productivity, and environmental impacts related to tobacco smoke and nicotine products. Council members discussed potential policy directions and expressed interest in strengthening youth protections (prohibiting flavors in nicotine and tobacco products with a possible exemption for licensed smoke shops) and gathering information and feedback from the city's licensed tobacco retailers. Other potential updates to the ordinance for future review include updates to definitions, restrictions on discounts and pricing, limits on the number of tobacco licenses, smoke -free setbacks and designated smoking areas at city worksites, clarification of smoking rules on public/city property, and maintaining the smoke -free exemption at the golf course. The Council provided direction to staff to work with the Hennepin County Public Health Law Center to develop a draft ordinance for review, retailer feedback, and future Council consideration. ADJOURNMENT Work session ended at 5:54 pm. ATTEST: CITY COUNCIL Christine Lusian, City Clerk Bob Tunheim, Mayor