Reminder: Resuable Bag Ordinance - Notice of City Council Public Hearing - December 4, 2012
Aileen
Notice of City Council Public Hearing
Reusable Bag Ordinance
Single-Use Carryout Bags
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 - 6:30 p.m.
Council Chambers
500 Castro Street, 2nd Floor
The Mountain View City Council will hold a public hearing to consider a proposed ordinance regulating carryout bags at retail establishments. The purpose of the proposed ordinance is to reduce waste, litter, and environmental impacts related to the use of single-use, carryout bags and to promote a shift toward the use of reusable bags. The ordinance would ban plastic single-use carryout bags and charge for paper bags at retail stores (excluding restaurants, fast-food establishments, charitable nonprofit thrift organizations, and protective product bags such as produce, meat, prescriptions, greeting cards, live fish, and garment bags). If the City Council adopts the ordinance, it would take effect beginning April 22, 2013.
A copy of the City Council staff report, ordinance, and Environmental Impact Report is available after 4 p.m. Thursday, November 29, 2012 at the City Clerk’s Office or online at www.MVrecycle.org. A similar notice has been mailed to approximately 320 retail businesses who may be affected by the proposed ordinance. The attached notice will be published in the Mountain View Voice on November 30, 2012. Notices will also be posted on the City’s web site and on KMVT cable television.
Ordinance Description
The proposed ordinance would regulate the use of paper and plastic single-use carryout bags at all retail establishments within Mountain View, including those selling clothing, food, and personal items directly to the customer. Restaurants, fast-food places and non-profit charitable reuse organizations (e.g., Goodwill and Salvation Army) would be exempt. The proposed ordinance would 1) ban plastic single-use carryout bags, and 2) allow recycled-content paper carryout bags or reusable carryout bags to be provided for a minimum charge of 10 cents per bag initially and 25 cents after January 1, 2015. Customers enrolled in the State’s supplemental food stamps programs would be exempt from the paper or reusable bag charge. Protective bags for produce, meat, prescriptions, live fish, greeting cards, or garment bags (dry cleaning, clothing) may be provided at no charge. Retailers keep the 10 cents or 25 cents charged. They must itemize the purchase of any bags on the sales receipt and keep records of bag purchases and sales for 3 years, to be made available to the City upon request.
Public Review and Comment
To review the ordinance in its entirety, as well as other information relevant to the ordinance, the Environmental Impact Report and public input, please visit www.MVrecycle.org and click on Bag Ordinance (documents at bottom of page).
A copy of the City Council staff report will be available after 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 29, 2012 at the City Clerk’s Office, located on the 3rd Floor of City Hall (500 Castro Street), or online at www.MVrecycle.org.
Comments regarding the proposed ordinance may be made to the City Council by attending the meeting, or by submitting written comments via the City’s website or to the City Clerk’s Office prior to the meeting.