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Sherburne County approves updated tobacco licensing ordinance after public hearing and close debate
Summary
After a two‑hour public hearing featuring parents, students, health professionals and business owners, the Sherburne County Board approved updates to the county tobacco licensing ordinance to align with state/federal law and add public‑health protections; an amendment to lower clerk age from 18 to 16 failed.
Sherburne County commissioners voted to adopt revisions to the county tobacco licensing ordinance after an extended public hearing and board debate on Nov. 12, 2025. The ordinance updates county language and compliance procedures to reflect federal and state changes, adds public‑health best practices, and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026.
Assistant Sherburne County Attorney Jennifer Grama presented the draft ordinance, saying it updates statutory definitions, adds signage and age‑verification requirements, sets compliance‑checker ages to 17–20 to match state law, and narrows where flavored vape products may be sold by limiting them to validly licensed tobacco shops. Alicia Maxwell, community health coordinator, told the board the changes include required clerk instruction, a minimum clerk age proposal, a 500‑foot buffer from schools for tobacco shops and a prohibition on indoor sampling at licensed businesses.
Public testimony reflected sharply divided community sentiment. Health professionals, school‑district staff…
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