6.e Tobacco License Renewals
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: December 15, 2020
To: City Council
From: Brenda Eklund, City Clerk
Re: Tobacco License Renewals
Background:
Ordinance No. 212 regulates the sale and use of tobacco products within the City of Scandia.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Department conducts compliance checks and reviews license
applications on behalf of the City. Five businesses in Scandia have annual tobacco products
licenses which expire on December 31, 2020. Scandia Olde Towne Liquor and Federated Coops
were approved for 2021 renewals on November 17, 2020.
Issue:
Should renewal of the following tobacco licenses be approved?
Proposal Details:
The following businesses have applied for renewal of tobacco products sales licenses:
• Scandia Tobacco
• Big Marine Lake Liquor Store
• Big Marine Lake Store
The applications meet the requirements of Chapter 11 | Tobacco in the City’s Code of
Ordinances, regulating the sale of tobacco products. License fees have been paid. Upon
completion of the requested investigations for the businesses, the Sheriff’s office found no
reasons not to renew the licenses for Scandia Tobacco, Big Marine Lake Liquor Store and Big
Marine Lake Store. However, Scandia Tobacco failed a compliance check on October 18, 2019
when one of the employees sold tobacco to an underage person. At the time of the failure, the
legal age for tobacco sales was 18. The case is moving through the County Attorney’s office for
charges of a Gross Misdemeanor, Sale of Tobacco to Children Under 18 Years Old, with a pre-
trial conference scheduled for January 26, 2021. If found guilty, the business owner will be fined
$100 for a first violation under the previous Ordinance No. 92, which was in effect at the time.
Options:
1) Approve the renewal of tobacco sales licenses for the following businesses:
• Scandia Tobacco
• Big Marine Lake Liquor Store
• Big Marine Lake Store
2) Delay action on the tobacco license renewals.
3) Do not approve the tobacco license renewals.
Recommendation: Option 1.