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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC MINUTES 031120251 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 CITY OF ST. ANTHONY CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES MARCH 11, 2025 I. CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Wendy Webster called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Mayor Wendy Webster invited the Council and audience to join her in the Pledge of Allegiance. III. ROLL CALL. Present: Mayor Webster, Councilmembers Doolan, Elnagdy, Jenson and Randle. Absent: None. Also Present: City Manager Charlie Yunker, Assistant City Manager Ashley Morello, NineNorth Executive Director Jeff Ongstad, and Association of Nonsmokers -MN Representative Emily Anderson CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. IV. APPROVAL OF MARCH 11, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA. Motion by Councilmember Doolan, seconded by Councilmember Jenson, to approve the City Council Meeting Agenda of March 11, 2025 as presented. Motion carried 5-0. V. PROCLAMATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS. A. NineNorth Presentation. NineNorth Executive Director Jeff Ongstad reviewed the NineNorth Fact Sheet in detail. He provided General Information, NineNorth and St. Anthony Village, and 2025 and Beyond. Councilmember Doolan thanked Mr. Ongstad for their services. She asked if both sports and music concerts are covered and Mr. Ongstad stated they try to cover everything they hear about. Councilmember Jenson thanked Mr. Ongstad for the detailed overview and that there are goals set. Mayor Webster noted she serves on the Board of NineNorth. VI. CONSENT AGENDA. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 11, 2025 Page 2 2 A. Approve February 25 2025 Council Meeting Minutes. 3 B. License and Permits. 4 C. Claims. 5 D. Resolution 25-021 — Authorizing City Aolication for a Cannabis DiVensM Retail 6 License. 7 8 Motion by Councilmember Elnagdy, seconded by Councilmember Randle, to approve the 9 Consent Agenda items. 10 11 Motion carried 5-0. 12 13 VII. PUBLIC HEARING. 14 15 A. Ordinance 2025-01 — Regplating, the Sale of Tobacco and Related Devices and Products 16 First Reading). 17 18 Ms. Emily Anderson, representing the Association of Nonsmokers -MN reviewed a PowerPoint 19 of Commercial Tobacco Prevention: Overview of Proposed Ordinance Updates. The 20 presentation included Who We Are, Swiss Cheese Model of Commercial Tobacco Prevention, 21 Commercial Tobacco is Still a Problem, All Minnesotans Pay the Price for Tobacco's Harm, Use 22 of Any Commercial Tobacco Products in the Last 30 Days, I Don't Smoke, I just Vape, 23 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey 2023, The Impact of Nicotine on the Adolescent Brain, How 24 can Minnesota Communities Address These Issues, Best Practice: Policy Options to Address 25 Appeal, Access, & Affordability, Don't Discount My Life: Price Discounting, What is Price 26 Discounting, How Do People Receive Coupons, What Happens at the Retail Level, Are Coupons 27 Effective, How Do Discounts Impact Use, What About Price, Capping the Number of Tobacco 28 Licenses, Capping: What Have Other Cities Done, Increasing Penalties for Retailers, MN Statute 29 Updates: Penalties, and Why Address Commercial Tobacco Locally. 30 31 Also provided for Council consideration were Price Discounting Fact Sheet 2025, Citations for 32 SAV, Price Fact Sheet, Price Key Points, Ordinance 2025-01 and Notice of Public Hearing. 33 34 Mayor Webster opened the public hearing at 7:33 p.m. 35 36 Ms. Jeanne Weigum, 1647 Laurel, St. Paul, is a volunteer with the Association of Nonsmokers. 37 She stated that price is one of the most influential factors about young people starting and getting 38 adults to quit smoking. Price matters. Tobacco manufacturers try to influence people with a 39 "good price". There is a minimum price for cigars in St. Paul. In 2021, St. Paul placed a similar 40 ordinance to what Council is considering this evening. She distributed some advertising 41 information for Council consideration. The sellers are adhering to the Ordinance very well. 42 There is no outdoor advertising in St. Paul at this time for tobacco. She encouraged Council to 43 adopt the ordinance. 44 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 11, 2025 Page 3 1 Ms. Mg Linh Nguyen, Youth Advocate with Ramsey County Youth Action Team, read a 2 prepared statement. She has seen firsthand the damages of tobacco use. She is in favor of the 3 Ordinance. 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 Ms. Sylvia Amos, 1918 Thomas Avenue North, is in support of the proposal. She is President of the Women's Auxiliary Baptist Convention and a Community Organizer for MN Nonsmokers. Tobacco costs the community a lot in lives and money. $824 is spent for every adult and child in MN. 6500 lives are lost every year to this deadly product. Her family has been affected by the use of menthol tobacco. Lives should be put above profits. Mr. Ephraim Olani, Executive Director of Sub -Saharan African Youth and Family Services (SAYFSM) of MN, stated their mission is to address the most pressing health challenges in the African communities. He lived in St. Anthony for 8 years. He is a member of Nativity Lutheran Church. He fully supports the efforts of the City Council. There are strong tobacco ordinances in Minneapolis and St. Paul, among other communities. He is in support of this Ordinance. Councilmember Elnagdy thanked all for the information. Councilmember Randle stated his opinion on this is known to Council. He agrees the tobacco companies target blacks and especially urban blacks. He is the only one in his family who does not smoke. It is a choice if people want to smoke or not. He has an issue when being told what he can and what he cannot do. He does not agree with the number of fines and asked if they push that hard about marijuana. He can make up his own mind if he wants to smoke or not. Mayor Webster stated Councilmember Randle was very open and honest about his feelings at a Council work session. Previously he was in favor of changing the age to purchase tobacco items to age 21. During the first session of the Mayor's Youth Council, concerns expressed were similar to those of adults, including safety, knowing neighbors, picking up trash, and ways to stop their peers from starting to vape. Councilmember Doolan thanked the youth for coming to the meeting. Youth are concerned about other youth and she is concerned about youth becoming addicted. Mayor Webster closed the public hearing at 7:54 p.m. Councilmember Elnagdy asked Ms. Anderson about the fee schedule for penalties for license violations and why the fee is not increased for the third violation. Ms. Anderson stated there is no cap to fees. Mayor Webster stated the current St. Anthony fees were lower than the recommendations. Ms. Anderson stated Roseville's ordinance is the same as the one proposed for St. Anthony. Councilmember Doolan asked if there were any occurrences of a 2nd or 3' violation and Mr. Yunker stated there were not. She was interested in the slide showing changes between 2022 and 2023. She asked if products are becoming more addictive. Ms. Anderson stated the amount of nicotine and how it is absorbed has increased, which increases addictiveness. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 11, 2025 Page 4 1 Councilmember Jenson stated alcohol products and cigarettes require 21 years of age to 2 purchase. Adults have a choice to do it or not to do it. The price causes a preventative measure 3 for youth under 21 to start purchasing. He is in favor of raising the price. 4 5 Councilmember Doolan asked about access to cessation programs and does the City have a 6 requirement to provide education on how to quit. Ms. Anderson stated the State of MN has a 7 robust cessation program for both youth and adults. Communication needs to increase to make 8 people aware of these programs. Councilmember Doolan asked if there is a history of lawsuits 9 when Cities pass ordinances such as this and Ms. Anderson stated she has not seen any lawsuits 10 regarding the components being considered in the Ordinance. 11 12 Motion by Councilmember Jenson, seconded by Councilmember Doolan, to approve First 13 Reading of Ordinance 2025-01 — Regulating the Sale of Tobacco and Related Devices and 14 Products. 15 16 Motion carried 4-1 Randle . 17 18 VIII. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF - NONE. 19 20 IX. GENERAL BUSINESS OF COUNCIL - NONE. 21 22 X. REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. 23 24 City Manager Yunker had no report. 25 26 Councilmember Randle had no report. 27 28 Councilmember Doolan stated that on March 3 and March 5, she participated in Connect with 29 the Council events. On March 6t' she participated in the League of MN Cities on the Hill 30 Meeting. On March 11`h she attended a Minnesota Cities Climate Coalition Meeting. Earlier 31 today she met with the MWMO Board. On March 10t' she attended the Chamber of Commerce 32 Meeting. Their Annual Meeting will be April 24`" at 8:00 p.m. at JAX Cafe. 33 34 Councilmember Jenson stated on March 4, he attended the Northeast Kiwanis Meeting along 35 with Councilmember Doolan. On March 6, he attended the League of MN Cities on the Hill. 36 37 Councilmember Elnagdy attended Coffee with the Council the first week of March. 38 39 Mayor Webster stated on Wednesday, April 26 she attended the Mayor's Youth Council 40 Meeting. On March 5ffi she attended Connect with the Council at the Legends with 41 Councilmember Doolan. On Thursday, March 6ffi she attended MN Cities Day on the Hill. 42 43 XI. COMMUNITY FORUM. 44 45 Dr. Rachel Huckford, 3143 Stinson Blvd., stated two years ago, she moved to Minnesota. She is 46 concerned about the deportation of people to Guantanamo Bay. She requested St. Anthony to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 11, 2025 Page 5 continue to express protection to the Villagers. She wants policies to be added to the Police Department to add safeguards for the most vulnerable of residents. She distributed information to the Council. She wants to have the additional protections that officers will not request documentation when making arrests. The City of Roseville has these protections. XII. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. A. Future Agenda Items. The next Work Session Meeting and Regular Council Meeting will be held on March 25, 2025. Councilmember Doolan and Councilmember Jenson will be at Chandler Place from 11:30 — 12:00 p.m. for a Connect With The Council Session. April 24 is the Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting. XIII. ADJOURNMENT. Motion by Councilmember Elnagdy, seconded by Councilmember Jenson to adjourn the meeting at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Debbie Wolfe TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. ATTEST: City Clerk --'� "P,4 Mayor Motion carried 5-0.