At its Nov. 24 meeting, the Columbia Heights City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that will end the sale of flavored tobacco products by Jan. 1, 2028, and begin phasing out all tobacco licenses through attrition.
The ordinance takes effect July 1, 2026. Two provisions—the ban on flavored tobacco sales and a one-time succession transfer option—take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
A motion to move the flavored tobacco sales ban up one year to 2027 failed on a 3-2 vote. Council Members Justice Spriggs and Connie Buesgens supported the change; Mayor Amada Marquez Simula and Council Members Laurel Deneen and Rachel James opposed it.
Community Development Coordinator Emilie Voight said the ordinance had been discussed at the previous two meetings, with new language added at the Nov. 10 continuation of the first reading. She said the meeting packet included recent public comments, including those from residents and the Association for Non-Smokers Minnesota.
Voight said the ordinance also eliminates price discounting, restricts coupon use, sets minimum package sizes, increases penalties for sales violations, removes purchase/use/possession penalties and formally defines accessory tobacco retailers.
Spriggs supported the ordinance but argued the 25-month implementation period for ending flavored product sales was excessive.
“I think 6 months ideally, I can understand up to a year,” Spriggs said. “But if we go to 25 months, there’s a whole extra portion of people who are going to be able to start taking these products and get hooked.”
Council Member Connie Deneen said she supported the ban but believed local retailers needed time to transition.
“To change this suddenly, their livelihoods, they have sunk tens of thousands of dollars into,” Deneen said. “Whether you agree with their line of business or not, it is legal. They have been responsible business owners.”
Spriggs responded that no other city had allowed that long of an extension.
Mayor Simula said she weighed both youth health concerns and the needs of small businesses.
“That is definitely something that weighs on me,” Simula said of the thought of one of her kids getting addicted in that year, “and yet I still am thinking…we did have people, they did invest in our community, they have done upgrades in their buildings, and they just needed that time.”
Simula said she would vote against shortening the timeline.
“Even though it does break my heart to give an extra year, I do want to be equitable to our businesses as well,” Simula said.