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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDiscussion - Plastic Bag Ordinance and RegulationsCITY OF PALM DESERT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: DISCUSSION OF THE ADOPTED PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS SUBMITTED BY: Tony Bagato, Principal Planner DATE: May 14, 2015 CONTENTS: List of Local Plastic Bag Ordinances Plastic Bag Frequently Asked Questions and Responses Recommendation To continue with the current plastic bag regulations and education of the public and local businesses about the requirements under the ordinance. Executive Summary On April 23, 2015, City Councilmember Jonathan requested that the plastic bag regulations be placed on the next City Council agenda for further discussion and possible suspension. Staff is recommending that the City Council continue implementation of the adopted ordinance which prohibits stores from distributing single -use plastic bags, supporting the goals established in Palm Desert's Sustainability Plan, the Envision Palm Desert -Forward Together 2013-2033 Strategic Plan, and the fact that single -use plastic bags create harmful impacts on the environment. Strategic Plan Objective This matter is related to the Energy & Sustainability section of the Envision Palm Desert - Forward Together Strategic Plan, specifically Priority 2: Promote greater usage of more sustainable materials. The rationale for Priority 2 is to protect the well-being of future generations which are dependent on a healthy environment. Background The adopted plastic bag regulations were developed over the course of several years, and it is instructive to reflect upon the process that the City of Palm Desert has gone through in establishing these regulations. A table describing the timeline of events related to plastic bag regulations is provided below: Staff Report Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion Page 2 of 7 May 14, 2015 Plastic Bag Progress: City Council, Citizens' Sustainability Committee and Staffs Actions related to Single -use Plastic Bags February 2010 City Council approved the Environmental Sustainability Plan. The plan called for the creation of a Citizens' Sustainability Committee and identified six (6) resource areas that the City and the Committee would address. One (1) of the areas focuses on materials management and waste reduction. September 2011 City Council directed staff to research the environmental effects of single -use plastic bags and how the control of these bags may affect the environment. October 2011 Staff conducted research and presented it to the Citizens' Sustainability Committee. The committee stated it was a very important topic that needed to be addressed now, and recommended that the City Council move forward with a plastic bag ban ordinance. December 2011 Staff presented research to the City Council seeking direction regarding an ordinance to prohibit distribution of plastic bags. The matter was continued to a date uncertain to allow further study of the issue and for staff to seek a regional approach to the issue. January 2012 Staff presented research to CVAG and the Palm Desert Youth Committee separately. The Youth Committee recommended that the City Council take action to restrict single -use plastic bags. February 2012 The City of Palm Desert, in conjunction with the University of California, Riverside Palm Desert Graduate Center and the Coachella Valley Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council, hosted a free screening of the award - winning environmental documentary Bag ft at UCR Palm Desert. February 2012 CVAG's Energy & Environmental Resources Committee discussed a potential ordinance to limit the use of single -use plastic bags throughout the Coachella Valley. After considerable discussion, CVAG staff was asked to research what legislation may be pending at the State level to determine if the State was implementing a single -use plastic bag prohibition. May 2012 Staff presented research at the Environmental & Sustainability Expo — CSUSB. Survey results indicated a strong support to ban distribution of single -use plastic bags. June 2012 Staff presented research to teachers enrolled in a CVEP program learning to incorporate Sustainability into the classroom. August 2012 Staff presented research to retailers and conducted the first retailers' meeting with great feedback and discussion. May 2013 The Citizens' Sustainability Committee, Palm Springs Sustainability Commission, and staff worked with CVAG to prepare a model ordinance. August 2013 Citizens' Sustainability Committee unanimously recommended that staff present a letter for support of a regional ordinance to the City Council. The City Council supported the regional ordinance and sent a letter authorized by Mayor Harnick. October 2013 CVAG's Energy & Environmental Resources Committee discussed a draft model ordinance for single -use plastic bags. After the discussion, the \\srv-fil2k3\groups\Planning\Tony Bagato\Sustainability and Greenhouse Gases\Sustainabilit&lastic Bags\Regional Ordinance and CEOA\CCSR_Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion.docx Staff Report Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion Page 3 of 7 May 14, 2015 Committee unanimously supported a possible regional model ordinance to limit single -use plastic bags, and recommended that the CVAG Executive Committee study the issue further for possible support of the model ordinance. October 2013 City Council authorized the Mayor to sign a letter for support for the CVAG regional ordinance prohibiting single -use plastic bags. October 2013 CVAG's Executive Committee directed CVAG staff to work with the Solid Waste and Recycling Technical Working Group on the draft model ordinance. January 2014 CVAG's Technical Working Group recommended approval of the draft model ordinance. January 2014 Palm Desert City Council approved a Reusable Bag Promotion Program with a budget in the amount of $57,900. The program was intended to educate the residents and retailers about reusable bags. The program included purchasing reusable bags to provide to residents, holding 20 events to giveaway free bags in front of retailers and grocery stores, and the promotion of the "Bring Your Own Bag — BYOB" campaign with signs for retail parking lots, stickers, coloring books, and similar marketing items. February 2014 CVAG's Energy and Environmental Resource Committee approved the draft model ordinance. February 2014 CVAG's Executive Committee approved the draft model ordinance with support by Californians Against Waste, Environment California, Heal the Bay, Clean Seas Coalition, California League of Conservation Voters, Coastkeepers, Surfrider, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council, California Grocers Association, and the California Retailers Association. February 2014 Palm Desert City Council approves the purchase of 10,000 Reusable ChicoBags for the amount of $46,451. The bags were purchased to be distributed to residents of Palm Desert to assist in education regarding reusable bags. February 2014 City of Palm Desert City Council approved Envision Palm Desert -Forward Together 2013-2033 Strategic Plan. One (1) of the nine (9) Strategic Results Areas focused on Energy & Sustainability. As part of the discussion on Sustainability, the community stakeholders stated that Palm Desert has been a leader in environmental issues and that they wanted to reduce waste and promote more renewable products to protect the environment for future generations. March 2014 City of Desert Hot Springs approved the CVAG model ordinance. April 2014 City of Palm Springs approved the CVAG model ordinance. April 2014 Palm Desert City Council discusses the CVAG model ordinance and continues the matter. May 2014 City of Palm Desert approved the CVAG model ordinance with direction to study the impacts of the 10 cent pass -through charge on retail establishments. \\srv-fil2k3\groups\Planning\Tony Bagato\Sustainability and Greenhouse Gases\Sustainabilit)APlastic Bags\Regional Ordinance and CEQA\CCSR_Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion.docx Staff Report Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion Page 4 of 7 May 14, 2015 May 2014 City of Indio approved the CVAG model ordinance. July 2014 City of Palm Desert approved the modification to the model ordinance, eliminating the 10 cent pass -through charge on retail establishments as a mandatory requirement. July 2014 Staff presented the harmful effects of plastic bags on the environment and the approved ordinance to the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce at Desert Willow. September 2014 City of Palm Desert issues press releases about the plastic bag regulations, and begins distribution of 10,000 ChicoBags. Reusable bag education published in the September/October 2014 Brightside newsletter. October 2014 Staff issued a press release to local media for public information and promotion of the reusable bag giveaway. November 2014 Reusable bag giveaway printed in the November/December 2014 Brightside newsletter. November 2014 Staff met with the Westfield management staff to discuss the plastic bag regulations and to inform the merchants about the requirements. January 2015 Staff worked with D&B Visions to begin major outreach to all stores that are required to implement the plastic bag bans April 1, 2015. February / March Staff worked with D&B Visions to hold "Reusable Bag Events" to promote / April 2015 reusable bags and inform the public about the plastic bag regulations. In total, there were 24 events in front of various grocery and retail stores. The main targets were grocery stores, and D&B Visions gave away 5,000 reusable bags as part of the BYOB program. The locations for the events included: Wal-Mart Super Center, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Grocery, Jensen's Grocery, Wholefoods, Vons, Ralph's, Bristol Farms, Albertsons, Westfield Shopping Mall, Kohl's, Walgreens, Farmers Market, Ross, Best Buy, and Rite Aid. The events were held at multiple times at some of the named locations. April 1, 2015 Large stores (as defined in the ordinance) stop providing single -use plastic bags to shoppers. Discussion In 2010, the City Council approved an Environmental Sustainability Plan to encourage the effective management and conservation of resources. The Environmental Sustainability Plan addresses six (6) resource areas that were examined by resource teams of local stakeholders and staff. One (1) of the six (6) resource areas focused on "Materials Management," which is related to materials management and progressive waste management. As part of the progressive waste management approach, the main principle states: "The City embraces a `cradle -to -cradle' approach to materials management, from its manufacturing to disposal and reuse." \\srv-fil2k3\groups\Planning\Tony Bagato\Sustainability and Greenhouse Gases\Sustainability\Plastic Bags\Regional Ordinance and CEOA\CCSR_Plasbc Bag Ordinance Discussion.docx Staff Report Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion Page 5of7 May 14, 2015 This "cradle -to -cradle" principle means that the City will embrace a materials management system that will result in no disposal, and will encourage re -use and a "net -zero" effect on the materials being used in Palm Desert. Staff research determined that approximately 22,000,000 single -use plastic bags are distributed in Palm Desert each year. This number is based on the national average of one (1) person using approximately 500 plastic bags per year. In addition, the national average identifies that these bags are used for approximately 12 minutes and only 5-10 percent of these bags are being recycled. This means that the remaining 90-95 percent of the single - use bags are ending up in landfills or littering the environment. As part of staffs research for the ordinance, it was determined that ordinances requiring a "pass -through" charge significantly increase the use of reusable bags, which in turn reduces waste. For example, Los Angeles County passed a similar ordinance in 2010 and they have seen all single -use bag consumption reduced by more than 90 percent. Staff believes that prohibiting single -use plastic bags with a pass -through charge for paper bags is a progressive waste management approach to implement a "cradle -to -cradle" practice, as identified in the Environmental Sustainability Plan which community stakeholders identified as a key principle in 2010. In addition to the Environmental Sustainability Plan, the City Council recently approved Envision Palm Desert -Forward Together a 2013-2033 Strategic Plan which included input from more than 130 community stakeholders. As part of the Strategic Plan, Energy and Sustainability was one (1) of the nine (9) "Strategic Results Areas" that set out mini -visions, priorities, strategies, actions plans, and measures for success. Priority 2 of Energy and Sustainability states: Priority 2: Promote greater usage of more sustainable materials. Rationale: The well-being of future generations depends on a healthy environment. Strategy: Develop policies and programs to discourage waste, increase renewable energy production and increase the use of environmentally responsible materials. The Action Steps for Priority 2 focus on use of building material, paving material, education, exploration of community renewable energy, and feed -in tariff adoption by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Although the Action Steps for this priority are related to the built -environment, plastic bags were discussed by the focus group as having a negative impact on the environment. Eliminating single -use plastic bags and promoting reusable bags is consistent with the rationale behind Priority 2. The plastic bag regulations have been discussed, researched, and developed over several years with a lot of input from community stakeholders, businesses, and local government officials. Developing and supporting a ordinance that reduces single -use plastic bags is challenging, but it benefits to the environment and meets Palm Desert's adopted goals in the Sustainability Plan and the Envision Palm Desert -Forward Together 2013-2033 Strategic Plan. The model ordinance was supported by Burrtec, United Food and \\srv-fil2k3\groups\Planning\Tony Bagato\Sustainability and Greenhouse Gases\SustainabilityTlastic Bags\Regional Ordinance and CEQkCCSR_Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion.docx Staff Report Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion Page 6of7 May 14, 2015 Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council, California Grocers Association, and the California Retailers Association. It estimated that approximately 19 billion single -use plastic bags are consumed annually in California. Currently, 139 jurisdictions in California have created ordinances to regulate single -use plastic bags. Many of Palm Desert's retailers and grocery stores have implemented similar plastic bag regulations in these other jurisdictions in the State and have transitioned away from plastic bags in the Palm Desert stores. In addition, many Palm Desert retailers are unique to the Coachella Valley, so finding their products and the same shopping experience in a neighboring city is not an available option. For other retailers, including grocers, that have equivalent stores in neighboring cities, staff believes that people will only go to other cities to avoid the paper bag charge if it is less expensive to do so. Assuming that someone buys four bags of groceries (or other merchandise), the cost of gasoline alone outweighs the savings in paper bags if you travel an extra three miles round trip. Therefore, staff believes that, after some initial resistance, we're unlikely to see long-term change in shopping patterns based on this ordinance. Staff believes that stopping the plastic bag regulations now that they have been implemented would lead to more confusion, and would negatively impact businesses that are no longer providing single -use bags by using paper bags or the thicker reusable bags. In addition, prohibiting single -use plastic bags and placing a pass -through charge on paper bags will promote sustainability while still providing a choice for the customer at the checkout stand. Staff strongly believes it is important to continue the plastic bag ban, and to educate the public and store operators about the regulations and the environmental benefits of reusable bags. The education efforts have been ongoing for months, and the City has partnered with many grocery and retailer stores to promote the BYOB program and provide education about the regulations. Staff worked with D&B visions to hold 24 special events in front of grocery and retail stores. The outreach effort provided information to the public and provided 5,000 reusable bags to customers. The overall response from the businesses hosting the events was very positive, and several stores requested multiple events to promote the BYOB program. Furthermore, the City has provided approximately 7,000 reusable ChicoBags to residents to date. Staff has recently expanded the efforts to giveaway the remaining 3,000 bags by providing them at City Hall counters, the Aquatic Center, and at City events like the recent "Paper Shredding Event." In addition, another article was published in the Brightside newsletter for May/June 2015, and staff is delivering the ChicoBags to residents who live in the City - owned affordable housing developments. When the ordinance first took effect April 1, 2015, staff received complaints, comments and concerns from the public. Staff has been working to inform the public about the harmful effects of single -use plastic bags, and how they can avoid the 10 cent pass -through charge by bringing reusable bags to the stores. Although staff received a lot of comments originally, the number of comments has dropped sharply such that staff has received only one (1) comment in the past two (2) weeks. Recently, staff has received more calls about the free reusable ChicoBags, and residents have thanked the City for providing them at no cost. \\srv-fil2k3\groups\Planning\Tony Bagato\Sustainability and Greenhouse Gases\Sustainabilit�APlastic Bags\Regional Ordinance and CEQA\CCSR_Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion.docx Staff Report Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion Page 7 of 7 May 14, 2015 To assist the City Council with the concerns they may hear from the public, staff has prepared a list of "Frequently Asked Questions" with responses explaining why the City of Palm Desert approved the plastic bag regulations. The list is provided as a separate attachment to the staff report. Submitted By: L� " -A�7 Tony Bagato, Principal Planner Department Head: Lauri Aylaian, Dir. of Community Development John M. Wohlmuth, City Manager \\srv-fil2k3\groups\Planning\Tony Bagato\Sustainability and Greenhouse Gases\Sustainability\Plastic Bags\Regional Ordinance and CEQA\CCSR_Plastic Bag Ordinance Discussion.docx National List of Local Plastic Bag Ordinances, Alaska Bethel Fairbanks Homer Hooper Bay Arizona Bisbee California Alameda County and City Albany Arcata Arroyo Grande Atascadero Belmont Belvedere Berkeley Brisbane Burlingame Calabasas Calistoga Campbell Capitola Carmel -by -the -Sea Carpinteria Chico Cloverdale Colma Cotati Culver City Cupertino Daly City Dana Point Danville Davis Desert Hot Springs Dublin East Palo Alto El Cerrito Emeryville Encinitas Fairfax Freemont Fort Bragg Foster City Glendale Gonzales Grass Valley Greenfield Grover Beach Half Moon Bay Hayward Healdsburg Hercules Indio King City Lafayette Laguna Beach Larkspur Livermore Long Beach Los Altos Los Angeles City Los Angeles County Los Gatos Malibu Manhattan Beach Marin County Marina Martinez Mendocino County Menlo Park Mill Valley Millbrae Monrovia Monterey Monterey County Mountain View Mono Bay Napa Nevada City Newark Novato Oakland Ojai Pacific Grove Pacifica Palm Desert Palm Springs Palo Alto Pasadena Paso Robles Petaluma Pico Rivera Piedmont Pismo Beach Pittsburg Pleasanton Portola Valley Redwood City Richmond Rohnert Park Ross Salinas San Anselmo San Bruno San Carlos San Francisco San Jose San Leandro San Luis Obispo County and City San Mateo City San Mateo County San Pablo San Rafael Santa Barbara City Santa Clara City Santa Clara County Santa Cruz City Santa Cruz County Santa Monica Santa Rosa Sausalito Seaside Sebastopol Solana Beach Soledad Sonoma City and County ' http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaignlplastic_bags/national 1 South Lake Tahoe South Pasadena South San Francisco St Helena Sunnyvale Tiburon Truckee Ukiah Union City Walnut Creek Watsonville West Hollywood Windsor Colorado Aspen Basalt Boulder Carbondale Fort Collins Telluride Connecticut Westport District of Columbia Washington Hawaii Hawaii County Honolulu County Kauai County Maui County Illinois Chicago Evanston Iowa Marshall County National List of Local Plastic Bag Ordinances, Maine Portland Maryland Montgomery County Chestertown Massachusetts Brookline Cambridge Falmouth Great Barrington Manchester Marblehead Nantucket Newport Provincetown New Mexico Santa Fe Silver City New York East Hampton Town Hastings -on -Hudson Mamaroneck New Paltz Village Rye Southampton Town Southampton Village North Carolina Hyde, Currituck and Dare Counties Oregon Corvallis Eugene Portland Rhode Island Barrington Texas Austin Brownsville Dallas Fort Stockton Freer Kermit Laguna Vista Laredo PortAransas South Padre Island Sunset Valley Washington Bainbridge Island Bellingham Edmonds Issaquah Kirkland Lacey Mukilteo Olympia Port Townsend Seattle Shoreline Thurston County Tumwater http://www. cawrecycles.orgrssues/plastic_campaignlplastic_bags/national 2 Plastic Bag Ban FAQs and responses: 1. Why did Palm Desert prohibit plastic bags? On average, each person uses approximately 500 plastic bags per year for approximately 12 minutes Based on our current population, about 22,000,000 plastic bags are used in Palm Desert each year. The City of Palm Desert has long been a leader in protecting the environment, and encouraging the elimination of waste is in keeping with the City's goals in sustainability and energy management. 2. Why does Palm Desert require grocery stores to charge 10 cents for paper bags? Simply put, shoppers won't bring reusable bags if paper bags are given out for free. Grocery industry experience shows that, with a pass -through charge for paper bags, the use of reusable bags increases from less than 15 percent to 75 percent. After the first year of similar ordinances in other cities, the rate of reusable bag use by consumers increased to more than 90 percent. 3. Why is the City of Palm Desert supporting reusable bags? The use of reusable bags is encouraged because they conserve resources and landfill space, reduce air and water pollution, save money in cleanup, and reduce litter that harms our wildlife. According to Nick Sterling, research director at Natural Capitalism Solutions, "If used once per week, four or five reusable bags will replace 520 plastic bags a year." 4. What about the germs and health issues with reusable baps? The potential for Salmonella or Listena, or E. coli. food contamination results from meat or chicken leaking into the reuseable bag, which could contaminate other foods if the same bag is used on the next visit without being washed. This scenario is highly unlikely according to the California Grocers Association, which supports the plastic bag regulations. The plastic bag regulations still allow grocery stores to use plastic bags for both meats and vegetables to avoid contamination. Regular laundering of the reusable bags also eliminates the risk of contamination. 5. Single -use plastic bags are recyclable, so why ban them? Yes they are recyclable. However, the national average shows that only 5 percent to 10 percent of these bags are being recycled. In addition, Burrtec Waste Management indicated that plastic bags clog their equipment, blow in the wind during the waste hauling process, and have no value in the recycling market. 6. Paper bags are made from trees, isn't that worse than plastic bags? Most paper bags are made from recycled paper that is processed at a recycling paper mill. In rare cases, the paper used for paper bags are made from fresh paper pulp, which is used from tree wood shavings. Today, most paper bags are not made from trees and are recycled. 7. Plastic bags were free, why should we pay for paper bags? Plastic bags are not free, because tax dollars pay for litter clean up associated with them. According to a 2007 report, California spends $303.2 million each year on littler collection; plastic bags represent approximately 1 % of the total litter at an approximate cost of $3 million for cleanup of plastic bags alone. d11 K CP/cS i Honorable Mayor Susan Marie Weber City of Palm Desert 01 May 11, 2015 Re: Council Meeting May 14, 2015, Agenda Item 14 H. "DISCUSSION OF THE ADOPTED PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS". Dear Mayor Weber: I have been a resident of Palm Desert for 25 years and have lived in the neighborhood known as the Vineyards adjacent to Civic Center Park. It is my privilege to serve on the City's Sustainability Committee. I note with interest the item on your May 14, 2015 Council Agenda concerning the single use bag ordinance. Because I cannot attend that meeting, I offer my inputs. Although concerns have been made, I continue to support the current Ordinance and would oppose any significant change to it. Since April I have made it a point to talk with cashiers, checkers and "front line" customer service staff in grocery stores and retail outlets. These workers have shared concerns that their customers have voiced. Initially, two themes seem to be common: • The customer forgot their bag(s) and was upset to pay $0.10 per bag; or, • The customer didn't care for the new rules. Since May 1, the concerns have decreased; however, the same complaints are being made. Through my very limited survey, I have concluded that change comes slowly and the City would be wise to defer any action on the Ordinance until this initial period passes. The inconvenience of toting your own bag pales compared to the harmful effects of single use bags on our community. I recommend that the City formally recognize cashiers, checkers and "front line" customer service staff for their efforts in implementing this Ordinance. The implementation of the provisions of the Ordinance has fallen directly upon the shoulders of the "front line" staff of retail markets. I suggest the City, perhaps with the help of the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, develop a system to recognize these workers. Thank you for your consideration. Sinc rely, Dennis Guinaw 73921 Krug Ave. Palm Desert CA 92260 Cc: Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk IC :I Nd I I IN St4Z v) '183S30 WlVd 301330 S, 83'10 A 110 (13 A 1 :? Klassen, Rachelle From: Nancy Luckritz <21uckritz@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2015 6:17 PM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: Plastic bags Please do not rescind the use of paper bags in the Coachella Valley. I personally would like to see it state wide. Sincerely, Nancy Luckritz 1329 Campeon Circle. PS, 92262 Sent from my Whone LU co U.t to t� CID :xJ Q: W mom ara 0 c., Klassen, Rachelle From: Evelyn Nagel <eknagel@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 7:41 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: Plastic Bags Please lets not go backwards on the plastic bag ban. It can and will make a difference. Evelyn Nagel w LA- U CC> �p r-- tn w .. Luc CV U � E ca � Klassen, Rachelle From: Robert Hlavnicka <rabbitlakeone@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 9:33 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: Supporting Banning single -use plastic bags in Palm Desert As residents, home owners and year round residents we urge the city to continue the ban on single -use plastic bags in Palm Desert and support efforts for a state wide ban. Sincerely, Ray Andrews Robert Hlavnicka 73275 Desert Rose Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 U U— 0 co � o,r cv tJwp J r t: d sa Q C-4 Klassen, Rachelle From: Klassen, Rachelle Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 10:51 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: Plastic Bag Ordinance - May 14, 2015 CC Mtg Took a phone call this morning from Palm Desert Resident Karl Twombly, who resides in The Gallery development. He wished to register his opinion on the Council's consideration of the Plastic Bag Regulation. He is for continuing with the current Plastic Bag Regulation. In fact, he felt it was a mistake when grocers/retailers stopped providing paper bags, because they were and are still a sustainable product. However, he currently uses reusable bags for his shopping and believes the State Ban on single -use plastic bags will be sustained, requiring everyone to abide by this rule. He does not think it's a hardship for retailers to be enforcing the ban or providing alternative bags. RaJieU& D. Klan ,, MMC City Clerk, City of Palm Desert 73510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260-2578 PH: (760) 346-0611, Ext. 304 Fax: (760) 340-0574 e-mail: rklassen@cityofpalmdesert.org J� t,s. Ct Mot* Ln W �0C UJ N Q Ca N Klassen, Rachelle From: Rosa Sue <rosa_sue@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 10:54 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: : plastic bag ordinance --- On Tue, 5/12/15, Rosa Sue <rosa sue@vahoo.com> wrote: > From: Rosa Sue <rosa sue@vahoo.com> > Subject: plastic bag ordinance > To: "rklassen "@cityofpalmdesert.org > Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2015, 10:36 AM > Dear Ms. Klassen; > I am a long time Palm Desert resident. > Yes, it is true that becoming accustomed to bringing my own satchels > into stores may be challenging to recall. > However, I know that it is the right thing to do for the city, and the > environment. Palm Desert is a progressive city that should be in tune > with the rest of California. > Leaving a beautiful city and state to my grandchildren is most > important. > Do not, please, let a few short-sighted individuals undo this valuable > long-term easy fix for an environmental problem. > Thank you. > Rosa Lucas, RN, FNP-C > 74351 Santolina Dr. > Palm Desert, CA 92260-2665 > Save the Earth. It is the only planet that has Chocolate! w ON 2 < in �pU Vq L3C 4 [a� �r1 CX W N UWp — U N Klassen, Rachelle From: szimbelfun@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 11:42 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: *Plastic Bags* ATTN: City of Palm Desert City Council -- c/o Rachelle D. Klassen Re: Plastic Bags Dear City Council: I am a resident of Palm Desert. I very much appreciate your ban on single use plastic bags in our city. I heard that you will be reconsidering the ban. I strongly support and wish for you to continue the ban as it currently stands. I also request your support for the state wide ban on single use plastic bags. Thank you very much for your consideration. Sincerely, Sherrie Zimbelman 1 Klassen, Rachelle From: Frank Ellis <ellisfj@earthlink.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 6:57 PM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: single use plastic bags We strongly support the ban of single use plastic bags. One only needs to hike in the desert to see the abundance of plastic bags, blown everywhere by winds. Shopping bags are very inexpensive and there is no reason why shoppers can't bring them to stores when shopping. Additionally, as former sailors off the Oregon and Washington coasts, plastic and plastic bags cause all kinds of problems for animals trying to survive. Let's help the environment! Frank and Sue -Anne Ellis W Co 0< .5- � � Co J to W aT X v 0 Klassen, Rachelle From: Frank Ellis <ellisfj@earthlink.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 6:59 PM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: address Our address is 69801 Ramon Rd. #434, Cathedral City. Klassen, Rachelle From: Savannah Gil <savannahsahara@rocketmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 11:05 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: City of Palm Desert City Council City of Palm Desert City Council Rachelle D. Klassen I live in Palm Desert, I support Palm Desert's ban on single -use plastic bags. I also want to encourage the City to support a statewide ban on single -use plastic bags. It is great for the environment to ban plaatic bags, not just for our city but for the whole world in the long run. Thank you for your consideration on this important issue. Sincerely, Savannah Gil 77401 Hovley Ln East #618 Palm Desert, CA 92260 Klassen, Rachelle From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 11:52 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle; Mendoza, Grace Subject: FW: City of Palm Desert: single -use plastic bag regulation Attachments: Palm Desert Carryout Bag LTR_5 13 15.pdf From: Laura Peralta[mailto•LPeralta(&CAGrocers.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 11:37 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: City of Palm Desert: single -use plastic bag regulation Dear Mayor Weber: I hope this email finds you well. I am contacting you on behalf of California Grocers Association because we are seriously concerned about the City of Palm Desert's consideration of overturning its existing single -use carryout bag ordinance. We respectfully urge the City Council to keep the ordinance in place, at least until after the November 2016 election that will determine whether the city will have to comply with state legislation. Instituting a regulatory ordinance unanimously voted in by the council, then repealing it, and possibly instituting it again if voters decide in favor of SB 270 would be highly disruptive to retailers and cause a lot of confusion among our customers. Please consider us a resource as you examine the existing single -use carryout bag ordinance. Respectfully, Laura V. Peralta Director Local Government Relations, Southern California CA Grocers Association 1020 N. Lake Street I Burbank, CA 91502 Tel: (818) 841-8640 ( Iperalta(a-)cagrocers.com www.cagrocers.com PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL: This communication, including attachments, is for the exclusive use of addressee and may contain proprietary, confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, copying, disclosure, dissemination or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this communication and destroy all copies. �0UJ � tV t- w a" > tCIC W M U� 4L ca May 13, 2015 The Honorable Susan Marie Weber Mayor, City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 RE: Single -Use Carryout Bag Ordinance Dear Mayor Weber, ri\ cd C A L I f O R N I A A i 50 CI Ai ,ON On behalf of the California Grocers Association, I write to express concern over the City of Palm Desert's consideration of repealing its existing single -use carryout bag ordinance that the city council unanimously passed last year. The California Grocers Association is a non-profit, statewide trade association representing the food industry since 1898. CGA represents approximately 500 retail member companies operating over 6,000 food stores in California and Nevada, and approximately 300 grocery supplier companies. Retail membership includes chain and independent supermarkets, convenience stores and mass merchandisers. CGA members include numerous grocery companies operating throughout Burbank. The model of banning single -use plastic bags and allowing recyclable paper bags for a charge has shown to encourage reusable bag use, provide consumers no -cost and low-cost carryout options, and minimize operational and financial impacts to retailers. Over 100 California jurisdictions have passed this type of ordinance successfully including the cities of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Indio. Since passing a similar ordinance in 2010, Los Angeles County has seen all single -use bag consumption reduced by more than 90 percent. It was found that consumers quickly adapted and businesses felt minimal impact. Grocery industry experience shows the use of reusable bags or no bag at all by consumers increases from less than 15% before ordinance implementation to over 75% immediately after implementation. Within the first year the rate of reusable baguse by consumers rises above 90%. In 2014 dozens of board members of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) recognized the need to establish a regionally consistent model for regulating single -use carryout bags for jurisdictions that wanted to implement the policy in the Coachella Valley. The Palm Desert City Council, along with other regional municipalities, unanimously approved an ordinance to regulate bags. The City of Palm Desert invested a considerable amount of staff time and city funds researching the impact of implementing the policy, educating the general public, and collaborating with local retailers to organize community events and roll out the implementation of the policy. CGA respects a city's decision to regulate single -use carryout bags or not implement an ordinance at all. Our concern is that regional inconsistency in regulating bags results in a patchwork of legislation that creates competitive disadvantages for retailers operating near neighboring jurisdictions, as well as for retailers with multiple store locations in different jurisdictions, and is highly confusing for our customers. If a city decides to regulate carryout bags, we prefer that they do so in a manner that is consistent with that of jurisdictions in the region and also consistent with SB 270. CALIFORNIA GROCERS ASSOCIATION 1 1020 N. Lake Street I Burbank, CA 91502 1 T: (818) 841-8640 1 F: 916.448.2793 1 www gmcem.com Due to the referendum to repeal SB 270, the public will decide the fate of the statewide legislation in the November 2016 election. Depending on the outcome of the election, voters could decide in favor SB 270 and the policy would be implemented throughout the state. Attempting to overturn the local ordinance in Palm Desert in a few months would not only be costly to the city, but it would also be highly disruptive to local businesses and confuse to general public. We are seriously concerned that the City of Palm Desert is considering overturning its existing single -use carryout bag ordinance. We respectfully urge the City Council to keep the ordinance in place, at least until after the November 2016 election that will determine whether the city will have to comply with state legislation. Again, instituting a regulatory ordinance, then repealing it, and possibly instituting it again is highly disruptive to retailers and causes much confusion to our customers. Thank you for your consideration and please consider us a resource as you navigate through this process. Sincerely, lamo_ d Gi LAURA PERALTA Director, Local Government Relations cc: Councilmembers, City of Palm Desert John Wohlmuth, City Manager, City of Palm Desert Rachelle Klassen, City Clerk, City of Palm Desert Tony Bagato, Principal Planner, City of Palm Desert CALIFORNIA GROCERS ASSOCIATION 1 1020 N. Lake Street 1 Burbank, CA 91502 1 T: (818) 841-8640 1 F: 916,448.2793 1—cag—em.com