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Politics & Government

Northfield Council Roundup: 'Adult' Businesses and Glass Pipe Sales

Council directed Public Safety Director Mark Taylor and City Attorney Chris Hood to start work on a policy that would ban all businesses from selling glass pipes, which are commonly used to smoke illegal drugs.

Northfield City Councilors on Tuesday directed City Attorney Chris Hood to draft a policy requiring future "adult" businesses like strip clubs to license with Northfield, which allows the city to limit a club's location, hours and whether it can sell alcohol.

The city has no licensing requirements for businesses, which led Councilor Rhonda Pownell to bring the issue before council as a proactive measure—cities cannot legislate retroactive bans on businesses once one applies to operate in a city.


A less blunt policy

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After banning his ability to sell glass pipes and other items usable as drug paraphernalia, councilors revoked their prohibition for Haider Alnomani's new to sell single cigars and rolling papers. Councilors banned Alnomani, whose Minneapolis convenience store was forced to close in 2006 for failing to prevent drug dealing on its property, from as drug paraphernalia in July.

Councilors made the change at the recommendation of Northfield Public Safety Director Mark Taylor, who said based on research of tobacco vendors in Northfield and elsewhere in Minnesota, that rolling papers and cigars costing than $2 were common and less of a threat for drug consumption than the sale of glass pipes, which are sold in other Northfield shops.

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In a following motion councilors directed Taylor and Hood to start work on a policy that would ban all businesses from selling such paraphernalia.

"I had no idea Holiday sold those kind of things," said Councilor Suzie Nakasian. "I guess it's more of a holiday than I thought."


In other news

Councilors voted to allow city staff to contract with the Northfield Area Foundation to award youth recreation programs money from the $360,000 Grace Whittier fund, which was donated to the city in the 1980s.

City Finance Director Kathleen McBride added that for the fund to grow, the trust fund would have to be transferred from city management, which is barred from most investing by law, to nonprofit companies which can invest in stocks to get a higher return on the money.

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