Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 55-2011 RESOLUTION NO. 55 -2011 CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING POLICY GOALS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM PROMOTING THE REDUCTION OF SINGLE USE BAGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHEREAS, the City of South San Francisco ( "City ") desires to protect the public health and the natural environment; and, WHEREAS, discarded Single Use Bags represent a substantial portion of waste in the City's waste stream, and reduction of said Single Use Bags is a necessary part of any effort to reduce the disposal of solid waste and the related environmental costs of waste management; and, WHEREAS, the purpose of this r esolution is to set forth guidelines for developing a long- term program that will reduce and eventually eliminate the use of non - resuable bags within the City ( "Voluntary Single Use Bag Reduction Program "); and, WHEREAS, a development of a Voluntary Single Use Bag Reduction Program and the associated increase in use of reusable bags is in the public interest; and, WHEREAS, responsible waste management cannot occur without cooperation with City residents and the local business community; and, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco that for the purposes of this resolution, the following terms are defined as follows: 1. "Single Use Bag" means a carryout bag, made of paper or plastic, that is provided by Retail Establishments for the purpose of carrying away goods or other materials from the point of sale and is not a Product Bag or Produce Bag, nor a Reusable Bag or otherwise designed for multiple reuse. 2. "Reusable Bag" means a bag with handles that is specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and meets all of the following requirements: a. has a minimum lifetime of 125 uses, which means the capability of carrying a 3 /4 full bag, 125 times over a distance of at least 175 feet; b. is machine washable or is made from a material that can be cleaned or disinfected; and c. does not contain lead, cadmium, or any other heavy metal in toxic amounts, as defined by applicable state and federal standards and regulations for packaging or reusable bags. 3. "Retail Establishment" — means any store that is in the business of retail or wholesale sales to customers and the square footage of retail space exceeds five thousand (5,000) square feet. A Retail Establishment includes, but is not limited to, grocery stores, warehouse stores, hardware stores, liquor stores, drug stores, convenience food stores, pet supply stores, clothing stores and hardware stores. 4. "Produce Bag" or "Product Bag" means any bag used exclusively to carry produce, meats, or other food items to the point of sale inside a Retail Establishment or to prevent such food items from coming into direct contact with other purchased items. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco that: 1. It shall be a policy goal of the City to encourage participation in a Voluntary Single Use Bag Reduction Program that will reduce and ultimately eliminate the use of Single Use Bags throughout the City. 2. The City Council calls on all City residents to voluntarily reduce their use of Single Use Bags. 3. The City Council calls on all Retail Establishments to participate, on a voluntary basis, in the City's Voluntary Single Use Bag Reduction Program to the maximum extent possible by taking the following actions: a. Encouraging the use of Reusable Bags by its customers. b. Making Reusable Bags available to customers, either through purchase or other methods. c. Charging customers a reasonable fee (approximately $0.05- $0.10) when providing Single Use Bags at the point of sale. d. Using any revenue collected from the Single Use Bag fee to encourage and promote increased use of Reusable Bags. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco that Staff shall consult with the Chamber of Commerce, residents and representatives from affected businesses to further develop the Voluntary Single Use Bag Reduction Program. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco that if this resolution or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this resolution, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, provisions of this resolution are severable. The City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase hereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases be held unconstitutional, invalid, or unenforceable. I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was regularly introduced and adopted by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco at a regular meeting held on the 27 day of April, 2011 by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Mark Addiego, Pedro Gonzalez, and Karyl Matsumoto, Vice Mayor Richard A. Garbarino and Mayor Kevin Mullin NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None ATTEST: 420 City Clerk,"