Council hears concerns but takes no action on four issues
The Bloomington City Council held a listening session on August 4, 2026, where residents and business owners raised concerns about tobacco ordinances, park lighting, and police immigration enforcement practices. While council members acknowledged the issues and promised further review, no formal votes or decisions were made.
Three tobacco business owners asked the council to reconsider ordinances that they say are hurting their livelihoods. Chris De Concini, owner of Gas for Less, pointed out an inconsistency in the city's tobacco transfer rules. While one provision allows sole proprietors to transfer their businesses to family members, another provision doesn't include this flexibility—a gap that prevents him from transferring his business to his son. The council agreed to look into the matter.
Ali Zahid and Mohammed Al Khattaba, who operate gas stations with smoke shops, raised broader concerns about the city's flavor ban on tobacco products. They argued the ban makes their businesses "worth nothing" since they can't sell to family members, and they lose customers to neighboring cities. They also pointed out that Bloomington's cannabis dispensaries are allowed to sell flavored products, creating an uneven playing field. They asked the council to adopt exemptions similar to those in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Council Chair indicated they would "take the council's temperature" on revisiting the topic.
A resident named Sally criticized the city's decision not to renew lighting for soccer and football fields at Smith Park. She cited the city's own Park System Master Plan, which states that "lighting gets challenging when there is less daylight," and accused the city of providing inaccurate information to justify the decision. The council acknowledged her input but took no action.
Jamie Anthony raised concerns about the Bloomington Police Department's collaboration with federal immigration agents (ICE). She cited two recent arrests in Bloomington where ICE was called without fingerprinting, leading to federal detention. Anthony said the department's actions contradict the city's stated values on immigration policy. The Council Chair offered to meet with her directly to discuss police practices and procedures.
The listening session concluded with a unanimous 6-0 vote to adjourn, moved by Council Member Rivas and seconded by Council Member Robertson.
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Votes (5)
Clarification on Tobacco Business Transfer Ordinance for Sole Proprietors
Chris De Concini, owner of 'Gas for Less,' highlighted a discrepancy in the city's tobacco ordinance regarding business transferability. He explained that while the ordinance allows transfers for sole proprietorships within family structures (provision one), this flexibility is absent in another provision (provision two), which impacts his ability to transfer his business to his son and long-term manager. He clarified his business structure as a single-member LLC, filing as an S-corp, which technically qualifies as a sole proprietor by legal definition.
Impact of Tobacco Flavor Ban and Business Sale Restrictions
Ali Zahid, owner of a gas station and smoke shop, and Mohammed Al Khattaba from Akhtar Tobacco, raised concerns about the city's tobacco ordinance. They highlighted the inability to sell their businesses to family members, making the businesses 'worth nothing,' and the negative impact of the flavor ban, which they argued drives customers and tax revenue to neighboring cities. They pointed out the inconsistency that THC dispensaries in Bloomington are allowed to sell flavored products, and suggested adopting exemptions similar to Minneapolis and St. Paul or considering FDA-approved tobacco flavors.
City's Decision on Smith Park Field Lighting
Sally expressed strong disagreement with the city's decision not to renew a shared agreement for lighted football and soccer fields at Smith Park. She cited the Bloomington Park System Master Plan, page 19, which acknowledges that 'lighting gets challenging when there is less daylight,' arguing that the city's stated reason for the decline in field use for youth sports was inaccurate, leading to a situation she termed 'fraud.'
Bloomington Police Department (BPD) Collaboration with ICE
Jamie Anthony raised ongoing concerns regarding the Bloomington Police Department's (BPD) interaction with federal immigration agents (ICE). She referenced previous discussions about the 'Secure Communities process' and then detailed two recent arrests in Bloomington where ICE was called without fingerprinting, leading to federal detention (later released). She argued that BPD's actions do not align with the city's stated values on immigration policy and sought direct engagement with the city manager and council for 'concrete answers' on police department practices and procedures.
Adjournment of Listening Session
Moved by Council member Rivas [7:02] · Seconded by Council member Robertson [7:03]
The listening session concluded after no further speakers came forward. A motion was made to adjourn the session and move to another location ('downstairs').
Notable Quotes (12)
That is not in number two. And that's simply what I want to do is somehow merge the two. I was under the understanding, but Matt Brillhart just told me that there are two owners that are sole proprietors in the city of Bloomington.
To be honest, it's been a couple of years since I've even thought about this since we passed this, and I see our city attorney writing furiously here, so why don't we I I you make you bring up a good point, and I think I'm we we can come to a Okay. A a solution here, I'm sure of that.
Okay. I did the same thing when I owned my consulting company. So, I just I understand where you're coming from. Thank you. Appreciate the clarification.
Part of it's selling our business. We can't sell it to anybody else. Uh Even if a family member like my brother, I can't sell him the business. Which is going to make uh our business like worth nothing.
All that we're asking for just to adopt the same thing that Minneapolis did, St. Paul did. Just exempt just the smoke shop from that flavor ban because it does actually affect us.
And uh all what they sell also is flavor. And I don't think it's safer than the e-cigarette. Like they have flavor THC, disposable, and flower, and the blunt. So, they can sell that, but when it's come for tobacco, we we we cannot do that.
The clarification I guess is we if we choose to revisit this as a council the if you own a dispensary license, can you also own a tobacco license or can we come up with some combination of licensing in that particular scenario?
From Bloomington Park System Master Plan, page 19, it states, quote, lighting gets challenging when there is less daylight, end quote. And yet, the city did not renew the shared agreement for the lighted Smith Park football field, soccer field on Darrell Field property. That does not make sense.
This is an example of how fraud happens when inaccurate information is provided, and what was provided about the Smith Park field is inaccurate.
So, since then, there's been two more arrests in Bloomington that did not involve fingerprinting, where ICE was then called and the people were detained and are now under federal Well, actually, they're not under federal detainment anymore because they filed petitions for um of habeas corpus and so they're now released.
my concern is that the city of Bloomington issued statements about what we would and would not do in terms of collaboration and the behaviors that are documented by both the BPD and the federal ICE agents do not align with the values that are stated.
I think if you have specific concerns, I mean, I'd be happy to sit down with you. I'm sure as city manager, we we could have that conversation um and provide what we're able to provide regarding police department practices and procedures and what and and and best practices and procedures as well to to see exactly what that might be and and help you understand them a little bit better.
Ordinances & Resolutions (3)
Local regulation impacting tobacco sales, flavor bans, and business transferability, discussed by multiple speakers.
City document cited for its statement on lighting challenges for park fields, page 19 mentioned.
Federal program mentioned for automatic notifications to federal agencies when individuals are fingerprinted.
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Other Topics from This Document
City Policy on Park Field Lighting
Bloomington Police Department Interaction with Federal Immigration Agents (ICE)
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