The Minneapolis Business, Housing & Zoning Committee approved several key measures Tuesday, including stricter tobacco regulations and housing development financing.

The committee passed an ordinance setting a $25 minimum price for e-cigarettes and vaping devices, while also restricting where new tobacco shops can locate. The measure removes downtown's exemption from spacing requirements and prohibits new tobacco retailers within 300 feet of K-12 schools.

"This isn't just policy, it's prevention," said Council Member Aisha Chowdhury, who co-authored the ordinance with Council Members Emily Koski and Andrea Jenkins. The committee heard extensive testimony from public health advocates who cited rising youth vaping rates and addiction concerns.

The committee also approved up to $17 million in housing revenue bonds for Snelling Yards Family Housing, a 75-unit affordable housing project in the Hiawatha neighborhood. The development by Lupe Development Partners will include units affordable at 30%, 50%, and 80% of area median income, with 12 units receiving Section 8 vouchers and 13 units set aside for homeless veterans.

In other business, the committee approved a street vendor license for Hard Times Cafe to operate outdoor seating and a liquor license for River City Tavern despite concerns about the location's troubled history. The committee also passed a new sauna licensing ordinance to regulate the emerging industry.