►
Description
San Bruno City Council Meeting January 8, 2013
8. Reusable Bag Ordinance
A
Item
number:
eight:
we
have
a
public
hearing
this
evening.
That'll
hold
a
public
hearing,
waived
the
first
reading
and
introduce
an
ordinance
of
the
city
of
San
Bruno,
adding
chapter
10.25,
reusable
bag,
ordinance
to
regulate
the
distribution
of
single-use
carryout
bags
by
retail
establishments,
entitled
ten
invisible
services
of
the
San
Bernardino.
B
B
At
the
time
that
the
council
began
this
discussion
in
consideration
and
it's
its
overall
strategy
for
sustainability
initiatives,
the
council
identified
an
interest
in,
and
particularly
the
discussion
of,
that
time
was
about
plastic
bags,
but
generally
about
single-use
and
non
recyclable
products.
At
that
time.
The
city
of
oakland
and
I
believe
the
city
of
san
francisco
was
being
challenged
on
similar
initiatives
because
they
did
not
had
not
completed
an
environmental
impact
report
and
it
was
councils
interest
in
direction
to
staff.
B
We
keep
the
ott,
keep
our
eye
on
this
topic
area
and
essentially
wait
and
look
at
how
this
environmental
impact
report
issue
could
be
addressed.
We
came
back
to
you
in
May
of
this
past
year
in
2012,
with
the
initiative
that
has
been
shepherded
by
the
county's
environmental
health
department,
dean
peterson.
C
Is
consideration
of
an
ordinance
that
would
regulate
the
distribution
of
single-use
carryout
bags
at
retail
establishments
as
Celts?
Excuse
me,
the
city
manager
Jackson
just
mentioned.
The
council
has
long
been
concerned
with
the
negative
environmental
impacts
caused
by
the
distribution
of
plastic
bags,
and
the
city
has
recently
participated
in
the
county,
wide
effort
to
regulate
single
use
bags.
This
effort
includes
preparation
of
a
uniform
ordinance
that
would
be
adopted
countywide
by
jurisdictions,
as
well
as
the
city
being
included
in
the
environmental
impact
report
that
was
prepared
by
the
county.
C
The
ordinance
itself
prohibits
the
distribution
of
single-use
plastic
bags
and
requires
a
minimum
charge
for
the
distribution
of
paper
bags
or
reusable
bags,
and
that
minimum
charge
starts
at
ten
cents
per
bag
and
increases
to
25
cents
per
bag
in
January
of
2015.
There
are
a
few
exemptions
to
the
ordinance
that
includes
the
use
of
produce
bags,
like
you
would
maybe
put
your
onions
in
or
your
meat
from
that
department
bags
for
prescription
medicine
bags
to
segregate
food
or
merchandise
that
could
damage
or
contaminate
other
merchandise.
C
Restaurants
and
take-out
food
establishments
would
also
be
exempted
as
well
as
nonprofit
charitable
organizations.
Also,
the
paper
bag
charge
would
not
apply
to
customers
that
participate
in
the
WIC
program
or
food
stamps
program.
This
ordinance
does
further
our
npdes
waste
reduction
goal.
We
propose
an
implementation
date
of
Earth
Day,
which
is
April
22nd
2013
for
the
ordinance
to
take
effect.
This
will
provide
storage
time
to
utilize,
their
plastic
bag
stock,
purchase
new
reusable
bags
and
time
to
inform
customers
of
this
change.
C
The
City
Council
initially
heard
a
presentation
of
May
of
last
year
and
we
had
several
community
outreach
meetings
planned
to
better
inform
retailers
and
customers
residents
of
these
new
regulations.
An
article
was
included
in
the
fall
focused
edition,
providing
an
overview
of
the
proposed
ordinance
and
we've
also
mailed
a
letter
to
all
retail
establishments,
inviting
them
to
an
informational
meeting
on
January,
sixteenth
at
nine
a.m.
at
City
Hall,
and
a
residential
informational
meeting
on
January
17th
at
six
pm
at
City
Hall.
C
If
the
city
council
chooses
to
adopt
the
ordinance
staff
will
distribute
informational
materials
to
retailers,
which
will
include
flyers,
tent
cards
for
the
cashier
stations
and
information
on
where
they
can
purchase
reusable
bags.
The
county
department
of
environmental
health
staff
will
take
the
lead
on
a
force
in
the
ordinance
in
san
bruno,
as
well
as
in
all
the
jurisdictions
that
adopt
the
model
ordinance,
and
this
is
at
no
cost
to
the
city.
County
staff
is
here
this
evening
to
respond
to
any
questions
you
may
have.
C
As
I
noted
earlier,
san
bruno
was
included
in
the
environmental
impact
report
prepared
by
the
county
that
analyzes
the
impacts
of
implementation
of
the
ordinance.
No
negative
impacts
were
identified
in
the
environmental
impact
report,
and
that
document
was
certified
by
the
county
staff
recommends
that
the
council
consider
the
resolution
making
the
sequa
findings
before
you
consider
the
ordinance
itself
and
I'd
be
happy
to
try
to
any
questions.
Good.
C
Ten
cents
would
be
maintained
by
the
retailers
to
recover
their
costs
of
purchasing
the
bags,
as
well
as
we
do
have
a
reporting
requirement.
We're
asking
them
to
retain
records
of
the
sale
of
those
reusable
bags
for
a
period
of
three
years
for
the
point
of
sale.
So
it
helps
cost
recover
that
that
time
as
well
and.
D
C
E
Correct
good
evening,
Council
dean
peterson
your
bubble,
health
director,
it's
always
a
pleasure
being
in
san
bruno
and
on
behalf
of
the
board
of
supervisors.
I'd
like
to
thank
they'd
like
to
thank
you
for
being
patient
and
waiting
for
the
regional
effort
to
go
through
and
not
moving
ahead,
so
they
could
truly
do
on
to
it.
As
lisa
indicated,
the
main
thing
is
keeping
track
so
that
we
can
make
sure
that
they
are
selling
the
bags
are
not
giving
the
bags
away.
D
E
The
environmental
impact
report
took
a
look
at
paper
bags
and
really
the
result
of
that
indicated
that
paper
bags
are
not
really
any
better
than
plastic
bags,
and
so
the
10-cent
charge
is
to
discourage
the
use
of
paper
bags
and
is
to
encourage
reusable
bags.
So
what
we
found
in
other
jurisdictions
that
we're
not
charging
people
were
simply
just
going
to
paper
which
increased
paper,
which
increases
transportation,
costs,
transportation,
greenhouse
gases,
and
then
we
become
fatigued
decomposition
of
those
bags.
E
The
environmental
impact
report
did
take
a
look
at
that
as
being
one
of
the
alternatives
to
ban
paper
bags.
We
felt
so
this
again
is
a
regional
effort,
so
we
have
24
hands
in
this
pot
coming
up
with
this
policy
and
at
the
end
of
the
day,
when
we
looked
at
the
alternatives,
it
was
determined
that
that
would
have
been
too
big
of
a
change.
However,
what
we're
seeing
in
san
jose
in
monterey,
county
and
in
sunnyvale
in
san
francisco
people
are
not
buying
the
paper
bags.
E
The
10-cent
charge
seems
being
not
there,
either
bringing
the
regional
bags
in
or
they're
carrying
stuff
out
in
their
hands
and
her
in
their
cars,
and
so
at
this
point
we
felt
that
banning
paper
was
just
going
a
little
bit
too
far
a
little
too
drastic
forth
for
the
consumers.
At
this
point,
okay
and.
E
The
theory
is
that
initially
ten
cents
is
enough,
but
eventually
we
become
immune
or
numb
to
ten
cents,
and
so
we
have
the
ability
to
change
it
up
to
25
cents.
If
that
is
happening,
I
do
know
that
the
city
of
San
Jose
is
actually
considering
not
increasing,
there's
a
25
cents
when
it
goes
into
it,
because
they
are
having
such
an
effect,
and
that
would
be
an
option
that
we
could
take
a
look
at
as
we
develop
and
look
at
more
information
out
there
and.
F
F
F
E
Absolutely
they
could
and
that's
the
reason
that
in
the
ordinance
there's
a
minimum
charge
of
ten
cents
on
either
a
paper
or
a
reusable
day,
so
that
thickness
of
a
bag
is
considered
reusable,
and
that
is
now
is
the
loophole
that
we
closed,
because
that
was
happening
in
San
Jose
and
in
sunnyvale,
where
stores
were
simply
going
to
a
thicker
plastic
bag
and
giving
that
away
for
free.
So
the
ten
cents
is
still
there
to
discourage
that.
Okay.
E
G
The
chair
I
had
some
questions
on
that
line
of
the
tenseness
of
25
cents
and
also
there's
obviously
critics.
It
would
say
it's
more
energy
and
Jobs
and
all
that
with
the
paper
bags
going
away
from
plastic.
That's
just
what
the
critics
will
say
that
I
we
watched
on
the
news
so
I
don't
know
how
we
answer
that
as
far
as
it
takes
more
energy
for
that
maybe
I'll,
let
you
answer
that
first
I
had
another
question
on
fines.
Sure
I'm.
H
E
G
Then,
on
the
finds
within
this,
obviously
there
are
fines
that
are
hundred
dollars
for
the
first
violation,
200
and
500,
so
this
is
run
and
done
by
the
county,
who
actually
does
enforcement.
So
my
question
to
that
is:
how
much
does
this
cost
so
how
much
more
additional
cost
the
county?
Is
it
to
go
ahead
and
go
out
and
we'll
say,
look
for
violations
and
if
a
business
is
not
charging
the
dime?
Are
they
also
find
similar
to
this.
E
Like
all
of
our
ordinances
that
we
do
we're
really
there
about
compliance,
we're
not
there
to
find
and
enforce
fines
will
only
come
into
place
if
we
have
recalcitrant
businesses
that
truly
do
not
listen
to
our
consultations
and
do
not
you
know,
make
the
efforts
to
move
forward.
Those
fines
would
be
retained
by
the
county
and,
as
we
have
in
other
cities
that
have
adopted
our
ordinance
by
reference.
The
commitment
the
county
has
is,
if
we
end
up
finding
businesses
within
San
Bruno,
that
money
would
then
go
back
into
outreach
into
that
specific
area.
E
E
Not
just
alone
I
mean
that
amount
of
fines,
quite
frankly,
the
efforts
we
would
need
to
do
to
collect
those
fines
are
much
greater
than
to
find
themselves,
and
so
it's
really
there
because
we
need
fines
and
ordinances,
but
it's
all
about
compliance
and
working
with
the
businesses
like
we
have
done
in
all
of
our
other
programs.
Is
there.
E
It
is
within
my
budget,
it's
in
within
my
pollution
prevention
program,
the
funding,
because
that
has
been
asked
where
the
county
is
getting
the
funding
to
be
able
to
provide
this.
There's
really
no
additional
staff
for
this,
because
we
already
have
staff
out
in
the
field
looking
at
different
items.
So
it
adds
on
to
it.
E
But
the
county
receives
a
certain
portion,
a
certain
percentage
of
tipping
fees
that
go
across
the
ox
mountain
landfill
that
helped
to
fund
programs
for
programs
that
keep
things
out
of
the
landfill,
and
so
we're
able
to
use
some
of
that
money
to
fund
the
outreach
for
whether
it's
our
polystyrene
ordinance
or
the
bag.
Ordinance
and.
E
G
G
E
The
state
of
California
has
been
trying
to
encourage
citizens
to
recycle
plastic
bags
for
almost
a
decade
now,
and
that
rate
is
around
five
percent.
It
just
does
not
seem
to
be
working.
The
only
city
that
I
know
that
allows
it
into
their
curbside
is
I
believe
it's
mountain
view
or
possibly
santa
clara
and
other
than
that.
There's
no
other
recycling.
That's
allowed
curbside.
D
E
E
E
A
H
H
E
A
A
A
G
D
G
I
Well,
as
you
know,
the
beautification
task
force
through
their
operation
clean-sweep
have
supported
this
by
giving
out
reusable
bags
for
the
last
eight
years,
and
we
continue.
We
will
continue
to
do
so.
So
if
you,
after
this
ordinance,
passes
the
first
Saturday
in
May,
if
you
want
to
come
to
Operation
Clean
Sweep
and
help,
we
will
hand
out
it
back
for
you
a
reusable
bag.
So
unless
there's
other
comments,
I
would
like
to
introduce
the
resolution
up.
G
F
I
think
this
is
a
good
idea
and
in
reading
just
the
history
of
this
I
think
you
know
the
number
of
countries
have
done
this
on
a
national
level.
A
lot
of
the
cities
are
doing
it
and
clearly
something
we
need
to
address.
I
did
speak
with
the
city
manager
earlier
and
I
had
some
questions
about
outreach.
I
believe
we
haven't
had
much
feedback
from
the
local
retailers,
but
I
was
curious
to
know
who
we
had
contacted
at
the
larger
chains
and
if
we
had
heard
anything
back
in
terms
of
their
ability
to
comply.
B
I'm
going
to
ask
Lisa
to
respond
more
directly,
but
I
did
check
on
that
issue
and
and
was
advised
that
in
every
case
where
we
had
the
opportunity
to
identify
a
direct
contact,
somebody
local,
obviously,
that
we
did
so
in
addition
to
that,
we
are
working
with
the
chamber
of
commerce,
because
Lisa
indicated
to
host
a
business
informational
session
and
we're
outreaching
to
tanforan.
But
we
will
certainly
over
the
next
days
and
weeks.
Should
it
be
the
council's
direction
to
proceed.
B
Then
we
will
redouble
our
efforts
to
make
sure
that
the
people
here
in
San
Bruno,
who
have
some
responsibility
for
the
operation
of
the
business,
are
adequately
informed.
Make
sure
that
that
outreach
is
provided
directly
to
each
of
the
local
businesses
to
the
to
any
extent
that
we
haven't
already
done
that.
C
We
did
do
direct
mail
to
all
businesses
and
our
business
license
listing,
so
that
does
also
include
businesses
that
would
be
exempt
for
the
ordinance
one
make
sure
everybody
was
aware
of
it
and
then,
as
Miss
dachshund
mentioned,
we're
going
to
do.
Direct
visits.
I
spoke
to
the
manager
at
Molly
stone
and
they
were
already
aware
of
it.
I've
spoken
to
other
retailers
they're
already
aware
of
it
and
I
think
it
really
helps
it's
the
county
wide
effort.
So
a
lot
of
those
larger
businesses
are
already
aware
of
it
from
their
other
facilities.
A
D
I'm,
just
gonna
I
had
I
had
a
long
dissertation.
I
wanted
to
explain
and
I'm
going
to
say:
I,
don't
like
it,
but
then
again
when
recycling
came
about
I
didn't
like
that
and
I
am
a
very
avid
recycler.
I
actually
pulled
a
bunch
of
plastic
bottles
out
of
a
bin
the
other
night,
because
I
just
can't
somebody
else's
been
somebody.
Someone
else
has
been
because
it
was
not
in
the
appropriate,
been.
D
Think
I
thank
the
beautification
task
force
because
I
still
have
that
reusable
bag
and
I
still
and
I
and
I
have
converted,
but
to
eliminate
plastic
bags
to
me
without
going
by
the
wayside.
As
far
as
our
recycling
programs
for
many
years
back
and
everything
it
would
have
been
just
as
easy
for
me
to
say:
I
can
take
the
plastic
bags
and
then
they
can
be
recycled
and
I
can
put
those
plastic
bags
in
another
container.
They
don't
take
up
a
lot
of
space.
I
mean
we
stuffed
them
in
paper
towel
holders.
D
G
My
point
was
similar
to
council
members
salazars,
because
I
was
wondering-
and
I
did
ask
the
city
manager
what
kind
of
feedback
a
response
we've
had
from
the
community.
I
know
the
objective
is
Earth
Day,
but
I'm
worried
about
Sam
Bruno's
day
in
the
sense
of
is
three
months
enough
time.
We're
going
to
have
meetings
on
the
sixteenth
and
seventeenth,
not
saying
on.
Everybody
will
welcome
this
with
open
arms.
G
Read
the
second
reading
and
postpone
that
my
concern
is,
it's
always
a
part
before
the
horse
and
I
had
wished
that
we
had
reached
out
a
little
bit
sooner
to
the
community.
The
businesses
that
are
affected,
as
in
the
styrofoam
I,
think
we
realized
that
we
had
to
postpone
that
a
little
bit.
We
had
to
get
educated.
There
was
an
issue
of,
of
course,
the
type
of
products
that
they
had
available
to
them
and
move
the
ones
they
were
currently
using.
G
So
though,
I'm
not
enjoying
everything
I
see
here
or
and
have
some
concerns,
you
know
I'm
going
to
go
ahead
and
and
support
the
introduction,
but
I
am
concerned
and
do
want
to
hear
the
feedback
that
we
get
from
the
community
on
the
sixteenth
seventeenth
and
in
any
calls
that
the
clerk
may
receive
or
information
that
she
gets
so
that
we're
appraised,
because
maybe
this
April
date
birthdays
is
a
noble
reason
to
have
it.
But
I
want
to
make
sure
it's
right
for
Sam
Burnham.
A
B
I
I
H
H
F
I
A
F
D
A
A
B
Mr.
mayor,
if
I
might
respond
briefly
to
one
of
the
council
members
comments
about
interest
in
hearing
what
the
business
and
resident
feedback
is,
we
will
certainly
provide
that
information
to
the
City,
Council
and
I
would
just
note
for
a
procedure
on
a
procedural
comment,
and
that
is
that,
should
this
in
Council
determine
that
you
would
like
to
see
additional
outreach
made.
That
could
certainly
be
direction
from
this
city
council
prior
to
the
second
reading
and
adoption
final
adoption
of
the
ordinance
taking
place.