Aurora City Council to discuss tobacco retail license to address youth access
On Monday night, Aurora City Council members will discuss a possible retail license that would limit and impose certain requirements on businesses that sell tobacco and psychoactive products.
The intent of the license is to prevent youth access to such products by requiring local licensure and compliance checks, according to council documents.
It does not propose a ban on flavors and existing businesses would be grandfathered from distance restrictions, council documents say.
The ordinance, presented by Councilmembers Ruben Medina and Stephanie Hancock, was initially presented in a Management and Finance Committee meeting in November, getting support from Councilmembers Francoise Bergan and Alison Coombs and opposition from Councilmember Curtis Gardner.
In the time since, the ordinance sponsors have made changes to the ordinance to reflect industry feedback and feedback from members of the community.
Multiple people have spoken in support of the ordinance during public comment at recent council meetings.
Aurora currently has 354 licensed tobacco retailers, 101 of which are within 1,000 feet of schools and recreation centers, according to Aurora Partners for Thriving Youth.
The Adams County Board of Health supported the ordinance in a resolution, saying tobacco is the No. 1 cause of preventable and premature death in Colorado.
In Monday’s study session, councilmembers will also hear updates to the city’s water plan, which is being renamed from the “Water Management Plan” to the “Water Shortage Response Plan.”
The updates come at a time when Colorado has seen a record-low snowpack season thus far, causing some officials to worry about future water supply in the state.
Monday’s study session starts at 4:15 p.m. and the regular meeting will follow at 6 p.m. The regular meeting will take place in the Paul Tauer Aurora City Council Chamber, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, and the study session will be livestreamed in the chamber.
Both meetings are available to watch online at AuroraTV.org and YouTube.com/TheAuroraChannel and on cable channels eight and 880 in Aurora.
The full meeting agenda is available on the city’s website.

