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Council asks staff to draft limits on vape vending-machine placement
Summary
After staff described state rules that limit access to vape vending machines to places where alcohol is served and machines are under manager control, council members asked staff to return with draft language to limit locations (for example, behind a bar or counter).
Clerk Yoakam briefed the council on recent inquiries from seven vape vendors and four local businesses seeking guidance about whether vape vending machines are permitted. Under current state statute, Yoakam said, operators must hold a state tobacco license and a city tobacco license and machines cannot be accessible to people under 21 unless sited in liquor-licensed areas under direct owner/manager control.
The clerk said current Bloomington code does not explicitly address vending machines, so staff recommended the council provide direction: keep the status quo, prohibit vending machines entirely, or craft local regulations.
Several council members favored a targeted approach that limits machine placement to locations where employees can control access (for example, behind a bar or behind a grocery counter). “I would definitely like to have some more clarification on where the access is,” Member Schraiz said. Staff said two other communities they contacted had prohibited vending machines and several others limited placement behind a counter.
What’s next: Council asked staff to draft suggested code language that clarifies where vending machines may be located and return to council with the proposed language for further action.
