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<br />members, the effort was made to modernize the ordinance language. Attached are the proposed <br />ordinance amendments for consideration. <br />If adopted by the City Council, staff will work on an educational and marketing campaign to get <br />the information out to the community, which includes, but is not limited to, signage at the parks, <br />newsletter articles, social media posts, and website information. <br />PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION <br />The proposed ordinance amendment was discussed at the September 7, 2023, Parks & <br />Recreation Commission meeting. The language proposed was: <br />2601.075 CANNABIS AND TOBACCO. No person(s) shall use tobacco, tobacco-related <br />devices, electronic delivery devices/vaping devices, cannabis flowers, cannabis products, <br />lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products while in a park(s) and <br />park facilities. <br />With respect to the proposed language, the Commission suggested adjusting the verbiage and <br />analyzing the enforcement procedures before presenting to the Council. <br />TOBACCO AND CANNABIS ARE HOLISTICALLY PROHIBITED <br />After a lengthy discussion from the Parks & Recreation Commission, concerns with possible <br />racial injustice and enforcement were brought forth with the current language outlined in Chapter <br />2601 – Control and Management of Parks and Park Facilities. Following this concern, staff <br />discussed and concluded that creating a new Chapter within the City Code governing Tobacco <br />and Cannabis use would save future staff and Council time of possible amendment changes <br />within numerous Chapters throughout the Code, but also set a precedent for how the City of <br />Little Canada views Tobacco and Cannabis use publicly. However, staff identified some <br />roadblocks with respect to definitions and enforcement procedures. <br />Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on the following: <br />• What types of tobacco/cannabis products should be prohibited (i.e. should smokeless <br />tobacco/cannabis be allowed)? <br />• Where should these products be prohibited (i.e. defining public places and public <br />property)? <br />• Should the city change the enforcement measures that are currently outlined in Chapter <br />2601.075 – 2601.080? <br />If the Council elects to prohibit tobacco and cannabis in public spaces, staff has drafted a <br />new Chapter to the City Code – Cannabis and Tobacco Use Within Public Property and <br />Public Places, since Chapter 2601 only pertains to parks and park facilities. The draft Chapter <br />utilized the definitions from the State, League of Minnesota Cities, and surrounding <br />municipalities when defining public places and public property.