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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />JANUARY 25, 2012 <br />lounges. Montour asked if the City would be more receptive to a cigar <br />shop than to a hookah lounge. Montour felt that The Hookah Hideout has <br />been a good neighbor in the City, and his perspective on the business has <br />changed from when it first moved into Little Canada. <br />Keis stated that he would be happy to have a cigar shop in the City. He <br />indicated that his issue is with sampling and indicated that the two do not <br />necessarily go hand -in -hand. McGraw pointed out that cigar shops will <br />typically allow the sampling of a $50 to $60 cigar, not the $10 cigar. He <br />felt the sampling loophole was being used by hookah lounges to get <br />around the law. Montour agreed, but suggested that until the State takes <br />action there was nothing Little Canada could do. Blesener disagreed. <br />Keis pointed out that if the City does not ban sampling it could end up <br />with several more hookah lounges. Keis stated that one or two may be <br />OK, but what was the limit. <br />Nelson pointed out that the City can put a cap on the number of licenses. <br />McGraw did not agreed with a cap as that provided a protection for <br />existing businesses. Montour noted that the City can have tiers of licenses <br />with a tier for tobacco shops. <br />DeRosa indicated that he sells high -end cigars and has allowed customers <br />to sample a cigar in his store. The City Attorney pointed out that this is <br />closer to the intent of the State Law than a smoking lounge where people <br />are sitting around watching TV and smoking for long periods of time. <br />Nelson pointed out that most cigar shops have smoking lounges and rent <br />humidors. The City Attorney agreed and pointed out that many cigar <br />shops were established prior to enactment of the indoor smoking ban. The <br />City Attorney informed Nelson that he did not disagree with him about the <br />way cigar shops work. <br />Blesener stated that he would support a ban of sampling while <br />grandfathering in existing businesses similar to what Mounds View did. <br />If the Legislature eventually bans sampling, then the hookah lounge as it <br />currently operates would not be allowed. <br />DeRosa felt that his business should be grandfathered in and he should <br />have the ability to sell his business if he chooses to. The City Attorney <br />noted that sampling is only a small portion of the Little Canada Smoke <br />Shop business; therefore, DeRosa would be able to sell his business. The <br />banning of sampling and grandfathering in of existing businesses has a <br />much larger impact on The Hookah Hideout. <br />Blesener again asked the Council's consensus. Boss reported that she <br />would support the banning of sampling, but the grandfathering in of the <br />5 <br />