Single-Use Bag Ordinance CC PH 8.19.13Regulation of Single-Use Carryout Bags Public Hearing
Town of Los Gatos
August 19, 2013
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October 2009
County-wide single-use carryout ban recommendation for fifteen cities
July 2012
Town of Los Gatos Sustainability Plan adopted
May 6, 2013 Study Session
Direction to develop
draft ordinance
Background
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Regional Efforts
San Mateo County EIR
Served as the Lead Agency for EIR
24 cities participated
Analyzed environmental effects of a Reusable Bag Ordinance
Provides uniform, consistent regulations in
a broad geographical area
Los Gatos draft ordinance consistent with Final EIR
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CEQA Environmental Review
Draft EIR issued on June 22, 2012
Seven public workshops were held
Copies made available at Library & Town’s Website
Final EIR issued on August 31, 2012
Copies made available at Library
& Town’s Website
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Final EIR certified October 23, 2012
Volume of bags in Study Area
552M bags per year
Los Gatos: 16M per year
95% of volume replaced by paper and reusable bags
5% (27.6M) exempt plastic
bags still used each year
CEQA Findings
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Environmental Impacts
CEQA Findings of Fact
Beneficial and Less than Significant Impacts
Zero Negative Impacts
Beneficial Impact
Air Quality
Biological Resources
Hydrology/Water Quality
Less Than Significant
Impact
GHG Emissions
Utilities and Service Systems
No mitigations required
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Public Input Process
Direct mailing to 739 business license holders
Three Public Input Meetings Held
Emails to Meeting attendees, Interested Parties & What’s New List Serve
Posting on Town website & Los
Gatos Nextdoor
Distributed to Town Boards, Commissions & LGS Recreation
Notices in LG Weekly & Patch
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Proposed Ordinance
Bans single-use carryout bags at all retail businesses selling clothes, food and personal items to consumers
Except restaurants and non profit charitable thrifts
Allows protective bags
for produce, meat, prescriptions, newspapers, dry-cleaning, live fish, and greeting cards
Requires minimum charge of $0.10 for paper or reusable carryout bags (Increases to $0.25 on
or after January 1, 2015)
Exempts State’s supplemental food stamp program recipients
Retailers keep the money from paper and reusable bag sales
Retailers must itemize bag sales on store
receipts
Retailers must keep records for 3 years, and provide records if requested by the Town
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Intent of the Ordinance
Reduce environmental impacts and pollution
Deter the use of paper bags
Promote a shift toward reusable bags
Avoid litter and other impacts to stormwater systems, aesthetics and marine
environment
Reduce litter clean-up costs
Meet trash reduction requirements of Town’s Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit
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Implementation
February 3, 2014
Outreach campaign
Retailers
Residents
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Alternatives
Do not introduce the Single-Use Carryout Bag Ordinance.
Modify Single-Use Carryout Bag Ordinance; additional Environmental Review may be required depending on modification.
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Recommendations
Adopt a resolution determining the Program EIR prepared by the County of San Mateo for the Reusable Bag Ordinance be found adequate for the Town of Los Gatos action; and adopting the
California Environmental Quality Act findings of fact for addition of Chapter 11.40 to the Town of Los Gatos Municipal Code regarding single-use carryout bags.
Introduce an ordinance
of the Town of Los Gatos to add a new Article IV to Chapter 11 to the Town of Los Gatos Municipal Code entitled single-use carryout bags.
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