Aurora City Council members unanimously approved raising the age to purchase tobacco products incl
uding vaping supplies from 18 to 21, Tuesday.
The vote adds “alternative nicotine and vapor products” to the ordinance that governs tobacco, cigarettes and cigars as well as change the legal age allowed to purchase these products.
Many Illinois municipalities have passed local ordinances including: Berwyn, Buffalo Grove, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Deerfield, Elk Grove, Evanston, Highland Park, Lake County, Lincolnshire, Maywood, Mundelein, Naperville, Oak Park, Vernon Hills.
Two representatives from an Aurora vaping shop agreed with raising the age to purchase tobacco products and spoke about vaping being less harmful than tobacco. They said vaping provides smokers 18 – 21 a safe alternative to help quit tobacco and asked the Council to not include vaping products in the ordinance amendment.
Julie Mirostaw, senior director of government relations at the American Heart Association said, “Ninety-five percent of current smokers started before the age of 21. You don’t hear about a lot of 18 year-olds trying to quit traditional smoking and go to those vaping or E-cigarette products.
“Data shows vaping products pose an increased initiation rate into those traditional tobacco products.”
• Approved was an ordinance to permit the city of Aurora Corporation Counsel to amend the City’s existing complaint against the Fox Valley Inn, a hotel at 2450 North Farnsworth Avenue, to specify that redevelopment is an additional public purpose to support its action. The acquisition through eminent domain.
In 2016, the City Council authorized staff members to acquire the property through eminent domain. After the City and the property owner were unable to agree to terms for the sale of the property, the City filed an eminent domain action in the Circuit Court of Kane County.
• Approved was an ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on remodeling, change of occupancy, or change of use of single family homes to lodging houses, boarding houses, or congregate living facilities and the issuance of rental licenses or the required revised certificate of occupancy to convert single family homes to lodging houses, boarding houses or congregate living facilities when the occupants do not fit the definition of family in the City of Aurora.
• Two speakers wanted to direct remarks to mayor Richard Irvin, who was not present, instead, the City Council was led by Robert O’Connor. Both speakers talked about the Aurora Election Commission, which was not supported by the March 20 primary election in a vote to keep it open or to close.
Theodia Gillespie and Annette Johnson were firm in their remarks that the mayor and the City Council did not deal fairly with the public on the Aurora Election Commission (AEC), closing.
“Last week’s election to disband the AEC was voter suppression,” Gillespie said. “It hurts people of color, disabled, and seniors. We want to know that fundamental rights are respected. It’s not a matter for the 12 election officials (City Council) to decide it is a matter for the Aurorans to decide.”
A premise by the City Council for closing the AEC was that services would be provided by the Kane County Clerk’s satellite office in Aurora.
“Every voter has a right to be informed, not manipulated,” Annette Johnson said. “Over $20,000 was raised by Close the Election Commission of Aurora. Tell the truth. The City still will pay for AEC. I am calling on the aldermen not to pay for an office or a motor voter unit. You need to live up to your campaign promises. All we receive are increased costs. Closing the AEC is nothing more than a political power grab.”