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Council introduces proposed vapor-product tax, camping and shopping-cart ordinances; landfill fee change and annexation also introduced
Summary
The city introduced an ordinance to tax vapor products to meet a state deadline, proposed prohibitions on sleeping/camping on public property and on off-premises possession of shopping carts, and introduced changes to landfill fees and an annexation; a $106,953 landfill-scale purchase was also presented for consideration.
The Jasper City Council received introductions of several ordinances and proposals that will return for future votes, including a city ordinance to tax vapor products, a proposed ban on sleeping and camping on public rights of way, a city rule restricting possession of shopping carts off store premises, a proposed landfill dumping-fee increase for outside-city garbage, and an annexation introduction for property at 480 Moon Road. City staff also presented a request to purchase new landfill scales and provide operator training at a total cost of $106,953 to be paid from the city's garbage fund; that item was introduced and will return for further action.
Cathy Chambers (staff member) told the council that state legislation (identified in the transcript as Act No. 2025-377) will impose a state tax on vapor products effective Oct. 1, 2026, and that the law gives cities the option to enact a local tax by Oct. 1, 2025. Chambers said staff will introduce a local ordinance mirroring the state rate and recommended a city tax of 10 cents per milliliter to match the state rate.
City legal counsel introduced two ordinances addressing public camping and use of shopping carts. The camping/sleeping item would prohibit sleeping on sidewalks, streets, alleys, entrances and doorways and would outlaw camping on public rights of way or city property; the attorney noted the transcript's reference that similar ordinances were upheld in a U.S. Supreme Court decision out of Oregon in 2024 (the transcript did not provide the case name). The proposed shopping-cart ordinance would prohibit possessing a store's shopping cart off the store premises except to carry purchased groceries home and where arrangements for prompt return are made; counsel said the ordinance is intended to give local enforcement options when theft statutes are harder to prove.
Attorney remarks also addressed a handicap-parking question for a festival weekend, noting the city's existing handicap-parking ordinance (as described in the transcript) can be used if the parking area is signed and marked for the weekend; no new ordinance was deemed necessary for that item.
An introduction was made for an ordinance to raise out-of-city dumping fees at the landfill for debris and construction materials; that item was presented as an introduction with no vote taken. The council also received an introduction to annex property at 480 Moon Road; no action was taken on the annexation at this meeting.
No final action was taken on the introduced ordinances or the landfill-scale purchase at the meeting; staff said they will return with ordinances or contract documents for future council consideration.
