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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION – OCTOBER 15, 2018 2 <br /> <br />Ted Brausen, Brausen Enterprises/Arden Hills Shell, explained he has been at this location for 50 <br />years and loves Arden Hills. He indicated he has always appreciated the fact that Arden Hills <br />allows him to run his own business. He questioned why the City was getting involved in an issue <br />regarding personal rights. He anticipated that those under 18 would travel to another community <br />to make their purchases which will affect his business regarding the purchase of gasoline, pop and <br />other convenient sale items. He stated he was concerned about the sale of tobacco to minors but <br />recommended the tobacco sale age be regulated by the State and not by individual cities. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holden questioned how much of a loss in sales Shoreview stores have had since <br />they changed their tobacco age. <br /> <br />Mr. Brausen commented he has a friend in Shoreview and noted the friend’s tobacco sales were <br />down 4% to 5%. He believed that the proposed change was not the right move for the City. He <br />explained the flavored tobacco issue was another concern. He commented further on the updates <br />that would occur at his Shell station noting he would be investing $2.5 million in his site. <br /> <br />Steve Rush, Holiday Stationstores, stated he has one store in Arden Hills. He thanked Ted for <br />hitting many of his concerns. He explained retailers are not the source of tobacco products for <br />underage individuals. He reported his store does a great job training its employees to ensure sales <br />do not occur to minors, noting all individuals under 40 were carded. He commented the proposed <br />ordinance amendment would be a costly expense to his business due to the computer software <br />changes that would be required. He feared that the proposed age change would cause confusion <br />amongst his employees that work at several different Holidays throughout the metro area, given <br />the fact some stores would continue to have a legal age of 18. He indicated a flavor ban including <br />menthol, would be devastating. He commented further on the trickle-down effect a flavor ban <br />would have on overall sales. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant asked how the Holiday store on Highway 96 was doing. <br /> <br />Mr. Rush explained he was a lawyer and lobbyist but understood this store did quite well and <br />wanted things to remain as is. <br /> <br />Susan Sindt, Simply Vapor, explained she owned an e-liquid cigarette manufacturing company <br />that has been in operation since 2010. She reported her product was sold at a tobacco shop in <br />Arden Hills. She discussed vapor products with the Council and indicated vapor products were a <br />safer alternative to cigarettes. She commented on the appeal of flavored vapor products and <br />described how an age change would impact the vapor market. She encouraged the Council to <br />consider how flavored vapor products help smokers make a life change. She stated flavors keep <br />people away from combustible tobacco. She noted 18 was and has been the age of consent for <br />quite some time. She discussed the State and Federal changes that were occurring in this industry. <br />She suggested the Council allow people to make their own healthy decisions and recommended <br />the Council not change the tobacco purchase age to 21. <br /> <br />Mr. Brausen encouraged the Council to consider where it should stop and where personal rights <br />should start. He suggested the City not overstep in the operations of local businesses. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holden asked if Mounds View was considering a change.