As I See It.......
 
The 2010 MMBA Spring Conference is right around the corner.   Information can be found in this newsletter. For all who have attended in previous years, we hope to see you again this year.
 
For those of you that have never attended, this is the perfect year to do so. The seminars are always great learning experiences and the social hours are a fantastic way to network with other municipal managers and vendors.
 
I have learned so much from other managers over the years, from simple ideas to the incredible "light bulb moments" that can get your adrenalin moving again and get you excited about your business.  

 

I guarantee you will bring home great ideas about changes you can easily implement after returning to your store.
 
With the economy still struggling and the budget cuts our cities are staggering from, you owe it your city to learn everything you can to help your store become more profitable.
 
As someone wise once told me, "You don't know what you don't know."

 

So come to the conference - network, learn and have fun to boot!

An MMBA member recently asked about gift certificate expiration dates. 

 

 

Section 1. [325G.53] GIFT CERTIFICATES.

    Subdivision 1. Definitions. The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.

    (a) "Gift certificate" means a tangible record evidencing a promise, made for consideration, by the seller or issuer of the record that goods or services will be provided to the owner of the record to the value shown in the record and includes, but is not limited to, a gift card, stored-value card, store card, or a similar record or card that contains a microprocessor chip, magnetic stripe, or other means for the storage of information, and
for which the value is decreased upon each use.

    (b) "Affiliate" of another entity means any entity directly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the other entity.

 

    Subd. 2. Prohibitions. It is unlawful for any person or entity to sell a gift certificate that is subject to an expiration date or a service fee of any kind, including, but not limited to, a service fee for dormancy.

    Subd. 3. Nonapplication. The provisions of this section shall not apply to gift certificates:

(1) distributed to a consumer for loyalty, promotional, award, incentive, rebate, or other similar purposes without any money or other tangible thing of value being given by the consumer in exchange for the gift certificate or gift card;

(2) that are sold below face value or at a volume discount to employers or to nonprofit and charitable organizations for fund-raising purposes;

(3) that are debit cards or other legal access devices used to access a deposit account and that are subject to the federal disclosure rules in the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, United States Code, title 15, section 1693, et seq., and its implementing Regulation E, as amended from time to time;

    (4) issued by an employer to an employee in recognition of services performed by the employee;

    (5) issued by a federally chartered or state-chartered bank, bank and trust, savings bank, savings association, or credit union, or by an operating subsidiary or other affiliate of any of them, and that can be used at multiple sellers of goods and services, provided that the issuer discloses any expiration date and fee associated with the gift certificate; or

    (6) that are prepaid calling cards used to make wireline or wireless calls.

 

 

 

An MMBA member asked if sales tax should be charged on packaged ice.

 

According to the department of revenue,

pre-packaged ice cubes, crushed ice and ice blocks are not taxable. 

 

Click Here for More Information  

 

However, if the ice is prepared by the seller it is taxable.

 

 

Click Here for Information on the 2010 MMBA Annual Conference