All licensed retail establishments shall be open to inspection by City officials during regular business hours. From time to time, but at least once per year, a Mendota Heights police officer or other City employee as designated by the Chief of Police, shall conduct compliance checks to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter. Such compliance checks shall utilize persons over the age of fifteen (15) years but less than twenty one (21) years, to enter the licensed retail establishment to attempt to purchase tobacco, tobacco products, tobacco related devices, electronic delivery devices, or nicotine or lobelia delivery devices. Prior written consent from a parent or guardian is required for any person under the age of eighteen (18) who participates in a compliance check. Persons used for the purpose of compliance checks shall be supervised by designated law enforcement officers or other designated City personnel. No person used in the compliance checks shall attempt to use a false identification misrepresenting the person's age, and all persons lawfully engaged in a compliance check shall truthfully answer all questions about the person's age for which the person is asked by the licensee or his or her employee and shall produce any identification, if any exists, for which he or she is asked. Nothing in this section shall prohibit other compliance checks authorized by State or Federal laws for educational, research or training purposes or required for the enforcement of a particular State or Federal law. (Ord. 536, 11-20-2018, eff. 3-1-2019)